£60million investment to create 1,600 new jobs in Sunderland

Legal & General has agreed a deal with Sunderland City Council to invest in a regeneration scheme that will transform the 25-hectare Hillthorn Park site in Washington.

It is the city council’s second major regeneration partnership with Legal & General, following the firm’s £100million commitment to invest in Riverside Sunderland.

The two-phased development plan – which is subject to planning consent - will see Legal & General develop a total of around 620,000 sq ft of industrial space over nine new commercial buildings which will then be marketed to a range of occupiers.

City Councillor leader Coun Graeme Miller said: “This is a tremendous step forward in our strategy to supercharge the city economy and a massive vote of confidence from Legal & General

that will rapidly accelerate our plans for Hillthorn Park.

“We have worked with partners to ensure this site is developed in a way that creates the greatest economic advantage for the city, and this is a deal that will deliver new job opportunities for local people and attract more businesses to Sunderland.”

Developer Rolton Kilbride Limited announced yesterday that it had withdrawn controversial plans for a proposed gasification plant – dubbed a ‘monster incinerator’ by protestors – on the site.

The firm submitted plans for the plant three years ago and thousands of people signed petitions opposing the scheme.

The planning application was rejected last year after Rolton Kilbride appealed and an inquiry was scheduled for the Stadium of Light in January but adjourned with the news the firm was in talks with Sunderland City Council.

Legal and General’s Paul Edwards said: “We believe that these latest plans will transform the Hilthorn Park area in terms of creating jobs which will be essential for the local economy in the post COVID-19 recovery phase.”

The new plan will accelerate the transformation of the Washington site, part of which has already been granted Enterprise Zone status after being identified by the Government and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership in 2012 as a key location for new economic development.

Designed to support the needs of industrial, storage and distribution businesses, Hillthorn Park is close to Nissan’s Sunderland plant and just a short distance from the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) being developed by Sunderland and South Tyneside Councils.

Property developer HBD won planning permission for the second phase of development at the IAMP site in June.

Business leaders welcomed today’s announcement.

Ellen Thinnesen, chair of Sunderland Business Partnership, said: “This is another fantastic development for Sunderland; another huge boost for the economy and importantly, a deal that will create jobs and opportunities for hundreds of people and businesses from the city.

“The pace of change in Sunderland is phenomenal and this is yet another reason to be positive about the future.

And North East England Chamber of Commerce chief executive James Ramsbotham added: "This is the latest in a long line of positive announcements that is very much welcome in the context of a challenging time for the UK economy.”

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