First council houses in 40 years under way
Work has begun on the first council houses to be built in Sunderland for almost 40 years.
Construction is now underway on 17 affordable bungalows, 16 of which will be specially adapted to provide homes for people with physical disabilities, and one for general needs, at Cork Street in Hendon.
A n e w £ 1 . 4 m i l l i o n d ay c e ntre to sup p o r t p e o p l e with physical disabilities is also being built alongside the housing.
The centre and the first eight of the bungalows have an anticipated completion date of summer 2021.
Councillor Rebecca Atkinson, cabinet member for Dynamic City at Sunderland City Council, said: "I'm delighted to see the start of work on the first council housing new build development in Sunderland for almost 40 years.
"The fact that this is progressing as planned is all the more remarkable given the c h a l l e n ge s o f th e l a s t few months.
"The new homes at Cork Street, along with the new day centre, will provide muchneeded accommodation and support services for people with physical disabilities.
"I a m p roud to s e e th e council playing its part in providing homes and support for our residents, particularly those who are vulnerable and disabled.”
The new homes are being built with the help of £765,000 of Homes England funding.
The council confirmed its plans to move into the rented housing sector late in 2019.
The project is one element of a wider £59million programme for a range of affordable housing projects across Sunderland over the next five years.
Cllr Atkinson said: “One of the key aims of our ambitious 10-year City Plan is for more and better homes and Cork Street will contribute to this.
“We are looking forward to working with Tolent on the delivery of this project.
"And I am really excited to see our first housing project take shape."
Chris Price, regional director for Tolent, said: "It's great to be on site today with our partners and to see works start on what is set to be another fantastic development in the city.
"As well as delivering a high-quality build, we'll also be working to bring a greater social value to the project by delivering a range of activities with the local community."