Green light for city's 'creative community' ambition

Plans to develop a 'creative residential community' on a brownfield site in Sunderland city centre have taken a major leap forward.

The council's planning committee on Monday 29 July voted unanimously in favour of the 75-home Nile + Villiers development in Sunniside.

Spanning Nile and Villiers Street, the new community will comprise a mix of city centre terraced homes, maisonettes and creative workspaces.

TOWN and Create Streets are leading the project on behalf of Sunderland City Council, having been tasked to help regenerate the vacant site in-line with the council's ambition of creating over 1,000 new homes in the city centre.

Now that planning has been granted, construction work is expected to begin over the coming months on the development, which will also include 10 units for a wide range of commercial and community uses.

Cllr Kevin Johnston, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Regeneration and Business at Sunderland City Council, said: "It is fantastic to see work pressing ahead on the development of the Nile + Villiers community.

"The new homes, as well as the commercial and community units, will provide a significant economic boost to the local area and play a key role in helping us meet our ambitious housing targets.

"Over the next decade, Sunderland City Council is aiming to build over 1,000 new homes in the city centre across Riverside Sunderland, Sunniside and West Park - on the former Civic Centre site - and this is yet another example of how we are delivering on that promise."

The Nile + Villiers development also ties into Sunderland City Council's 10-year strategy to regenerate Sunniside through a mix of physical development, adaptive reuse and economic and cultural development.

A cornerstone of the strategy, the properties shaping the community will be built using modern methods of construction and will have low carbon and renewable energy solutions installed from the outset.

Upon completion, 65 of the homes will be acquired by built-to-rent specialist Placefirst, with the remaining homes being sold to the public.

Cllr Johnston added: "The ten-year Sunniside Place Strategy aims to transform this much-loved, historic part of the city, and this development will be central to its success.

"Attracting more creatives to live, work and visit the area, will make it more animated and vibrant, and will act as a catalyst for further cultural and economic development.

"It is yet another fantastic development to add to the plethora of projects currently redefining the city's skyline and one we can't wait to see begin to rise from the ground."

David Mawson, CEO of Placefirst, said: "Once complete, Nile + Villiers will be a key element in the regeneration of Sunderland, and as developer-operators, we understand the crucial role that quality and secure housing plays in any ambitious city undergoing transformation. 

"In partnership with TOWN and Sunderland City Council, the scheme will see the delivery of high-quality housing solutions in the right area to meet local housing needs. Alongside our people-first approach to renting, our professionally managed homes will ensure that the evolving needs of tenants are met, as Sunderland prepares to welcome many residents back to the city centre."