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Sunderland Passion, Sunderland (2025)

19/08/2025

Riverside Sunderland is evolving – and the transformation is well underway. 🌟

Recent drone images reveal exciting progress at Sheepfolds Stables, where public realm improvements will create a more connected and vibrant city experience.

Key highlights:
🚶‍♂️ A new pedestrian route is being constructed improving access between the City Centre and the Stadium of Light
🧱 Construction of the overpass walls is advancing
🌉 A new pedestrian square is taking shape in front of the Sheepfolds Stables, linking seamlessly with Keel Crossing to enhance connectivity across the River Wear
🧱 Over 4,000m² of paving has been laid using high-quality Sandstone and Granite, elevating the look and feel of the area
🌳 Landscaping is progressing with the planting of: • Amelanchier lamarckii • Ginkgo biloba 'Princeton Sentry'

14/08/2025

🚧 Riverside Park is taking shape! 🌿 Check out the recent drone images 📹

As the centrepiece of —one of the UK’s largest urban regeneration projects—Riverside Park is transforming into a vibrant, inclusive space for the community.

Underway
✅ 130m of reinforced concrete wall
✅ 86m² of paddlestone cladding
✅ 8 striking Corten steel planters
Next up: decorative steelwork and feature lighting ✨

The community-managed garden will offer communal plots for growing organic fruit and veg, plus spaces to relax and connect. 🪏🫜⛲️🌸

14/08/2025

The new artwork, by Murwalls, in the city centre is a tribute to Sunderland football club’s defining moments which helped to gain promotion back to the Premier League. Outstanding shots by DigiFin 📸

12/08/2025

Sunderland College leads the way to get the UK building again as a Technical Excellence College 👷🏼‍♂️🧱🛠️

Sunderland College is set to be at the forefront of educating the country’s engineers, bricklayers, carpenters, roofers and electricians of the future after being named as a new Technical Excellence College (TEC) allowing them to benefit from a share of £100 million.

The college is one of 10 in England awarded the prestigious status as more than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers will get the cutting edge skills to “get Britain building”.

The colleges have been selected to draw on homegrown, British talent in the years to come rather than relying on overseas workers, “backing the British working class with well-paid, high skilled job opportunities”.

Backed by a £100 million investment, the colleges will help deliver well-paid jobs for British workers, support the construction sector and deliver the Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes through its Plan for Change.

The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that 6,850 new construction workers are needed in the North East by 2028, and the new TEC in Sunderland will be integral to building the workforce of the future.

One of the reasons Sunderland was selected as one of the 10 is because of its new Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA), a pioneering purpose-built gateway for housing and construction skills developed in close partnership with Sunderland City Council which is opening in September 2025.

06/08/2025

Sunderland’s city centre is poised for another significant transformation, with a planning application submitted for the next phase of redevelopment along High Street West - an integral part of the ambitious Riverside Sunderland masterplan. 🏢✨

The proposals submitted by Sunderland City Council, seek to revitalise the high street to create a dynamic mix of retail, commercial, leisure, and residential spaces.

Spread across four development plots the proposed scheme will stimulate economic activity and enhance the city centre’s lifestyle offer which hopes to redefine and re-energise this important city street.

The new buildings have been designed with flexibility in mind with the upper floors being able to accommodate either commercial office space for businesses keen to operate out of a modern city centre base, or high quality apartments that will boost the number of people living in the city centre. Active ground floor space will ensure the high street continues to attract shoppers and visitors alike.

The plans also include the removal of the enclosed footbridge which currently connects High Street West with St Mary’s Car Park as part of a series of public realm improvements that will restore historic connections and enhance pedestrian access to the former Vaux site.

The planning application which is scheduled to be determined later this year will act as a catalyst for future investment and redevelopment.

02/08/2025

This weekend is the annual Seaham Food Festival 😍🥡🌶️🧈🦪🫔🍢🍓

Seaham Food Festival - Saturday and Sunday August 2nd and 3rd and featuring over 120 traders, celeb chef demo stage, music, entertainment, and family fun 🌞

Bringing the kids? There's a jam-packed cultural schedule full of entertainment and activities the whole family can enjoy together.

Create your own willow boat, fish or fantastical sea creature, explore prehistoric fossils and grab a photo op with Stan, a life-sized cast of a T. rex skull and enjoy unbelievable gigantic bubbles fun.

For all the up to date info, see Seaham Food Festival and even a downloadable handy map, see the dedicated website at https://seahamfoodfestival.co.uk

20/07/2025

Sunderland has been awarded nearly half a million pounds to improve access to its green spaces. 🌳🏞️🛹

The £490,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant is part of the Nature Towns and Cities Programme, which aims to connect people with nature in urban areas.

The city council says the funding will support better transport links between community green spaces, and boost access to places like the coastline, riverbanks, and parks including Mowbray Park and Hetton Bogs.

Plans also include new conservation courses, ecological surveys at sites like Tunstall Hills, and local community grants.

Residents will be asked to help shape the proposals in the coming weeks.

04/07/2025

Sunderland’s new Esports Arena gets the green light! 🏟️🏅

Sunderland is set to become the UK’s official home of competitive gaming, with the British Esports Federation confirming plans for a world-class Gaming and Esports Arena beside the Stadium of Light.

Work will begin in September on the £multi-million, 15,000 sq. ft. venue – the first of its kind in Europe – which will open in early 2026.

The facility will include a 200-seat theatre, 17m LED screen, content studios, performance rooms, retail and outdoor space. It will serve as a training ground for elite Esports athletes, host national and global competitions, and double as a flexible event space.

Leaders say the arena will support jobs, tourism and growth as part of the wider Riverside Sunderland regeneration.

📍Backed by British Esports and Sunderland City Council
🎮 Linked to the already established National Esports Performance Campus
🕹️ Set to support both grassroots talent and elite gaming professionals

26/06/2025

Work has completed on a pioneering construction skills academy which will train the next generation of UK builders and engineers 👷🏽‍♀️ 👷‍♂️

The final finishes have been applied to the Housing Innovation & Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) at Riverside Sunderland.

The building will now be handed over to Sunderland College, part of Education Partnership North East, who will complete the fit-out ahead of HICSA's planned opening for the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year in September.

Sunderland City Council and Sunderland College partnered to develop the ground-breaking facility, which will educate, train and upskill local people to create innovative, factory-built new homes. Backed by Homes England and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, HICSA will provide the skills pipeline for the constructions industries and its subsectors.

Focusing on providing industry-standard training in modern construction techniques, low-carbon technologies and Skills England priorities, its curriculum will align with the city's long-term ambitions to lead the way in building the sustainable, eco-friendly and affordable homes of tomorrow. 🏘️

25/06/2025

Tree planting begins as Riverside Park starts to bloom 🌳

Riverside Park – a new public space on the edge of the city centre - is being transformed into attractive, accessible greenspace, opening up an area of the city that has long been forgotten.

Covering 13.7 hectares of parkland and 5.3 hectares of riverfront, the Park will be delivered in phases and will be made up of five areas; Southern Gateway, Kingsley Gardens, Galley's Gill, Lambton Riverside, and Wearmouth Riverside.

The first 14 of 88 trees that will be introduced in Phase 1 have been planted on the western edge of Kingsley Gardens, with species including Acer campestre, Prunus Avium (Plena) and Carpinus Betulus) trees. 🌱 🌿 🌳

24/05/2025

🔴⚪ SUNDERLAND ARE PROMOTED TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE! 🥳🙌🏽

23/05/2025

One of the UK's most ambitious city centre regeneration projects has taken a major step forward, after the appointment of Vistry Group as the preferred developer of the new Sheepfolds neighbourhood at Riverside Sunderland.

Vistry North East is set to expand its presence in the city, where it is currently delivering 250 new homes at West Park Quarter on the site of the former Civic Centre, under its Linden Homes brand.

The Sheepfolds neighbourhood will be the most populous of the four residential communities being created at Riverside Sunderland and will comprise up to 600 new homes, alongside new commercial and community spaces, that will support the Council's ambition to re-populate the city centre as part of its social and economic regeneration strategy.

The first phase of development is expected to commence in early 2026, following the completion of infrastructure and enabling works which will prepare the site for residential development.

Vistry's scheme, which has been designed by North East architects FaulknerBrowns Architects , will provide a variety of bespoke, high quality townhouses, duplexes and apartments on land between St Peter's Metro Station and the soon to be completed Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy (HICSA).

The scheme will also include the construction of a new mobility hub providing car parking, EV charging, cycle storage, and other mobility services to support the new Sheepfolds community.

Phase one of the Sheepfolds Neighbourhood is being supported by £4.8m of Brownfield Housing Fund grant which is being administered by the North East Combined Authority .

Sunderland Passion

19/08/2025

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