Residents have their say on plans for new community in Sunniside
People living near the site of a planned new residential community in the heart of Sunniside are being invited to have their say.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for 75 new homes at a site bound by High Street West, Villiers Street, Coronation Street and Nile Street.
Housing plans for the city centre site have been in the pipeline for some time, with developer TOWN revealing how the transformed site could look and formally submitting planning proposals earlier this year.
The planning application recently went live on Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website, allowing people to view documents and have their say as part of a consultation process.
The project, which is referred to as the “Nile + Villiers community”, aims to reinstate two streets demolished in the 2000s which were historically home to printers, cabinet makers and textile workers.
Plans aim to establish both sustainable homes and up to 10 ground floor units for commercial businesses, learning and other groups, with an aim of establishing a “creative living and working neighbourhood” in the area once again.
The project, which was conceived with local community organisation
Back on the Map working with TOWN and Create Streets, is understood to be supported by over £4million of Levelling Up Fund investment.
Developers say the project is a key element of a 10-year place strategy for the Sunniside area, which aims to encourage the growth of new and existing creative industries, increase the residential population and bring under-used buildings and spaces to life.
The applicant for the Sunniside housing project is listed as Siglion Developments LLP, part of the councilowned regeneration company
Siglion which is involved in developments at Riverside Sunderland, Seaburn and other city sites.
A planning and heritage statement submitted to council officials notes the Sunniside scheme would provide 60 two-and-threebedroom dwellings on part of the site for “private market rent in a mix of terraced houses and maisonettes”.
There would be open space to the rear of the dwellings to provide “communal space for residents incorporating paths, trees and ornamental planting, raised beds for foodgrowing, informal play space, communal storage for waste and refuse, and sustainable urban drainage (SUDS) infrastructure”.
The part of the site incorporating the former
19-21 Nile Street, which has been demolished, would incorporate five homes for private market rent in a mix of terraced houses and maisonettes.
Meanwhile, the part of the site bounded by High Street West, Nile Street, Villiers Street and Little Villiers Street would include 10 dwellings, and “up to 10 units of retail, office or community space”.
Developers have previously confirmed that 65 of the dwellings on the site would be acquired by built-to-rent specialist Placefirst, with others being sold to local buyers.
It was noted that the development would include a “community energy microgrid providing residents with clean affordable energy” and shared gardens, as well as being cyclefriendly.
This includes “150 cycle parking spaces for residents, with secure cycle parking within their rear gardens”,