Home North East Sunderland housing development could support 1,300 local jobs

Sunderland housing development could support 1,300 local jobs

A planned redevelopment scheme based on the site of the former Cherry Knowle Hospital in Sunderland could support over 1,300 direct and indirect jobs in the region across its lifetime. The planning application is in its final stages and, if confirmed, will see Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes North East investing £50m into building 304 homes.

The historic Cherry Knowle site, which was identified by the city council as a key part of the South Sunderland Growth Area, was once highlighted by Prince Charles in his ‘black spider’ memos in which he wrote to the Government urging them to redevelop the disused site. His Royal Highness’ correspondence emphasised his commitment to the rescue of historic buildings with input from, and for the benefit of, the local community.

As well as the direct investment from the housebuilder, the development would be expected to bring about a total boost of £130m to the local economy, whilst the new roles would be in a range of disciplines and include construction staff, subcontractors and sales staff. The plans for the development would also see the creation of 11 new public open spaces, covering 17.5 hectares.

Neil Milburn, Development Director at Barratt Developments North East, commented: “As a housebuilder, we are keen to develop on brownfield sites where possible and this is a great opportunity to do so. The Cherry Knowle site has not been used for some time and it would be great for us to be able to breathe new life into the town. We are hoping to have planning permission imminently and are keen to get started with this redevelopment project, which would bring a welcome boost to the local area.”