£222m in new investment projects under discussion
New starts for Sunderland City Council’s next round of investments include boosts for housing, schools, business, transport, culture and allotments.
The investment projects add up to more than £200million and will be examined by the council’s ruling cabinet next week.
Subject to the meeting, the projects will go into the next budget which will be decided in early 2021.
The proposals total £222.793million, of which £77.418million is expected to come from external funding and nearly £7million is already included in existing plans.
This means the council will invest £138.613million extra in improvements for residents, businesses and visitors.
As capital spending, the long-term investments aim to improve city assets and infrastructure and are different from revenue spending which covers yearly running costs for services.
The proposals also add to the existing investment programme of nearly £500million that the council already has for coming years.
This programme is being met with city and external funding, such as Legal & General’s commitment to three major buildings on the former Vaux brewery site as part of the wider Riverside Sunderland re - generation project.
Councillor Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland
City Council, said: “These plans demonstrate the ambition that we have for our city. Our City Plan is not a document that has sat on a shelf since we agreed it – we are using it to drive the investment in our great city, to ensure that we can deliver the promises we have made to our residents, businesses and visitors.”
New capital investment plans being outlined at cabinet include:
:: Riverside Sunderland Infrastructure – including
plans for a new high-level foot bridge over the River Wear, a riverside park on either side of the Wear, improvements to St Mary’s car park and 5G infrastructure (£32m).
:: Plans to enhance the cultural offer through the new Culture House near Keel Square (£27.2million) and the Washington ‘F’ Pit ‘Heritage Visitor Centre’ and Albany Park improvements (£4.6m).
:: Vaux Housing and the Future Living Expo, to
showcase regional skills and housing innovation (£38.4million).
:: Northern Spire Park investment to develop the site for affordable housing (£23million). The site has already been identified for more than 1,000 homes.
:: Investment ins upported living for adults (£16million at Willowfield Supported Village) and for those facing homelessness (£7.2million for an Inspiring Futures Programme).
:: Invest men tint ransport – Sunderland Station redevelopment and car park(£28m) and st rategic cycling network plans (£5.6million).
:: Housing Innovation Construction and Skills Academy, to develop skills for residents in modern methods of construction (£11million).
:: Refurbishment of Barnes Junior and Fulwell Junior Schools (£5million).
:: Further allotment and open spaces improvements (£2.5million).