Homes for rent plan for former Sunderland primary school site

A computer generated image of how the proposed homes may look

Developer Placefirst has submitted an application to build 116 homes on the former Easington Lane primary school site which has been vacant since the school moved in 2006.

Plans for the new site include a mix of house-types including bungalows, mews homes and townhouses that will appeal to households of all sizes.

Properties will range from two to four-bedroom homes, and will be complemented by high-quality public realm, including a new children’s play area and a range of shared landscaped courtyard gardens overlooked by the new homes.

Residents got the chance to have their say on the plans at a public consultation event at the Easington Lane Community Access Point last month.

Subject to planning approval and enabling works, Placefirst aims to start work early neaxt year, working with its in-house contractor, Placefirst Construction.

The site will be Placefirst’s second family build-to-rent community in the North East, following on from The Green in Hartlepool that is delivering 94 homes around a new urban park.

David Smith-Milne, managing director of Placefirst, commented: “The proposals represent our first new-build rental community in the North East, following on from the success of The Green in Hartlepool, which has transformed over 200 empty homes into a range of family homes centred around a new park managed by our team.

“Through Placefirst’s build-to-rent approach our residents are at the forefront of everything we do – we think long-term about the places we create and do as much as we can to build homes in an attractive, professionally managed setting where our residents enjoy living.

“More families are renting than ever before and the need for a reliable, quality offer has never been greater. Our homes offer a genuine, high-quality alternative for working families priced out of the housing market, or who prefer to the flexibility of renting.”

Placefirst is currently delivering over 1,000 rental homes across the North of England and is targeting 4,000 homes by 2025 and entering new regions including the Midlands and Scotland.

Current schemes include 131 homes in Accrington, 90 homes in Morecambe, 300 homes in Liverpool, 73 homes in Hartlepool and 73 homes in Leeds.