Sunniside on the Up

Major steps forward are being made in the historic area of Sunniside in Sunderland thanks to a sensitive regeneration programme.

Since 2003, £130m of investment has helped breath new life into its elegant Victorian and Georgian streets, which house 160 listed buildings, and the area is fast becoming the cultural hub of the city once more.

Spearheading this change of fortunes is the Sunniside Partnership, which is supported by Sunderland City Council, English Partnerships, One NorthEast, Sunderland arc, TyneWear Partnership and Government Office North East.

Stunning £2m gardens, funded by English Partnerships and One NorthEast via TyneWear Partnership, were completed at the beginning of this year and lie at the heart of Sunniside. Overlooking the gardens is the new Argent Business and Conference Centre. There are also newly refurbished offices, which are part of an exciting £6.1m arts and business venture currently under construction called thePlace. Occupying another prominent corner of Sunniside is ndhomes impressive Biscop House, offering 22 luxury apartments and a 4327 sq ft retail unit.

Assisted by commercial property grants of up to £60,000, owners and developers are improving properties and businesses are moving in, creating a new buzz about Sunniside.

A TyneWear Partnership supported property grant scheme has ensured a Grade II listed former Embassy is now a £500k Italian restaurant, Angelos.
Other Sunniside businesses to benefit from the scheme include Gordon Brown Associates, Solicitors in West Sunniside and Norfolk Clinic in Norfolk Street. So far Sunniside Partnership has awarded £448,954 in grants, supporting 18 businesses.

The overall Sunniside vision is for a new and vibrant quarter of the city with a popular restaurant, café and bar sector and a specialist retail area.

A thousand new homes are also planned for the area and many other buildings have already taken on a new lease of life thanks to the grant scheme and Sunderland Housing Group.
Investment into this important eastern city quarter has helped Sunniside to quickly establish itself as the fashionable, thriving sector it once was, offering specialist niche shops, beautiful apartments in restored Victorian townhouses and modern offices surrounded by century’s old history and architecture.

Councillor Bob Symonds, leader of Sunderland City Council and chairman of Sunniside Partnership, said: “Regeneration is mostly associated with large brownfield development sites, whereas in Sunniside it was felt that a more fine-grained approach was needed. Our model of a sustainable mixed development project is specifically designed to bring Sunniside back to life.”

Further information is available from the Sunniside Partnership office on (0191) 567 4822.