Bid for £20m to boost housing infrastructure

Sunderland is to make a £20million bid for Government cash to help improve roads and infrastructure around 3,200 new homes set to be built in the city.

Council bosses have applied for a chunk of the Government’s £2.3billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to support the South Sunderland Growth Area, where three key development sites – Chapelgarth (750 new homes), Cherry Knowle (800 new homes) and South Ryhope (450 new homes) – already have planning permission.

A fourth site, land north of Burdon Lane (950 new homes), and several smaller neighbouring locations, are also earmarked for development.

The council says a successful bid would help fund necessary infrastructure to support development, including extensions to nearby primary schools and extra capacity at nearby secondary schools.

Funding is also being sought for the completion of the Ryhope Doxford Link Road, and to add to that already secured for improvements to the A19/A690 junction.

The council is also working with Durham County Council on improvements at the A1018/A19 junction.

Coun Stuart Porthouse, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, said: “The council has already been successful in its first round of the bidding process. Now, we are looking to refine the bid for its next stage to help create this new community.”

“The growth area is expected to meet the demand for around one in five of the new homes that Sunderland needs in coming years. It’s a big part of our city’s future as we broaden our housing stock and help prevent outward migration.

“By building new homes and offering more housing choice, we continue our city’s social and economic transformation.”