12 major Sunderland regeneration projects to watch in 2026 as city faces huge transformation

From new and improved cultural visitor attractions and a multi-million pound film and TV studios development, to new housing, health and leisure facilities, here's a round-up of some of the key projects and developments to watch in 2026.

Crown Works Studios

The Crown Works Studios development in Pallion was previously announced as a "game-changing" project placing Sunderland at the heart of blockbuster film and big budget TV production, with huge economic benefits cited including the creation of more than 8,000 jobs in the region.

However, the scheme faced a major setback in 2025 after it was confirmed that the main private investor, Cain International, had withdrawn, leaving uncertainty around the project's future.

The Government has provided an initial £25 million cash injection, via the devolution deal which established the North East Mayor, while Sunderland City Council and the North East Mayoral Authority has committed to ultimately invest up to £120 million.

However, this still leaves the project around £300 million short of the £450 million original estimated cost of building the three-phase project on the expansive site on the banks of the river Wear.

In October, 2025, Sunderland City Council announced that global real estate service advisor CBRE had been appointed to spearhead the search for new private investors.

Earlier this month (December, 2025), North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and the North East Combined Authority (NECA) announced £600,000 of investment to help establish a Creative Development Zone in the city, seeing Sunderland emerge as a creative capital for the north, with Crown Works identified as a key part of this development.

Full planning permission for the first phase of the Crown Works Studios development, approved by Sunderland councillors back in March, 2024, included sound stages, production support workshop buildings, a gateway security checkpoint building, a multi-storey car park, a substation, a waste centre and more.

Meanwhile, outline planning approval, covering future phases of the film studios, established the principle of buildings and uses across the wider site with final details being subject to further ‘reserved matters’ applications, and council decisions on these applications, in future.

A number of proposals were originally mooted for future phases of the development, including converting the red brick printworks building adjacent to the phase one site into a “technical education academy” and building a "vendors village” for specialist businesses supporting film and TV productions.

Although it is unclear whether the Crown Works Studios development will be fully built out as originally proposed, with future phases being subject to further decision-making, city leaders have confirmed work on phase one is due to start in 2026.

In a statement in December, 2025, Sunderland City Council's Labour leader, councillor Michael Mordey, said "remediation works [were] well-advanced on site" and that the council was "working closely with NECA and Mayor Kim McGuinness to advance the Mayoral Creative Development Zone [...] which will accelerate our plans for Crown Works Studios".

“We expect to be in a position to get started on construction of the first phase of works on this exciting development in the new year, ensuring that the region is able to capitalise on the opportunities this game-changing project will provide," Cllr Mordey added.

The North East Mayor Kim McGuinness also vowed to “do all I can” to make the studios a reality and previously pleaded with the Government for more public money, as well as hinting at a major announcement in the new year.

Culture House, Keel Square

The landmark city library and multi-purpose cultural venue, costing more than £27 million, is set to house a range of facilities for adults, children and young people and spaces for exhibitions, learning, media and arts and crafts, when it opens in 2026.

Key features include The Atrium, an open plan space intended to be a “living room” for the city where people can meet and relax, along with library facilities, local hospitality business Blacks Corner opening a bar and eatery on the ground floor, a host of galleries, podcasting studios, a large event space for talks, gigs and comedy shows, a "play area and teen space", a "sky garden" on the top floor and more.

The Culture House's website confirms the venue will be "The National Centre for Creative Smart Cities","home to the city library" and "packed with interactive, digital features and a year round programme of fun things to do.

It was originally hoped that the development would open to the public in autumn, 2025.

Although significant progress has been made on the building, work is still ongoing and the council recently confirmed the venue's opening date has been pushed back into "the first half of 2026".

Although no exact opening date has been announced, the council has since confirmed that dramatic aerial artists, cinematic projection mapping and more will form part of a large-scale performance to welcome Culture House to the city in spring 2026.

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens redevelopment

The city's cultural institution is set for a major transformation in coming years following the successful bid of £5.2 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, supporting an estimated £13.6 million, four-year project.

The redevelopment plans, approved by councillors at a public planning meeting in July, 2025, include the relocation of the site’s main entrance into Mowbray Park, new exhibition galleries and displays and brand new touch-down and social spaces, as well as improvements to the winter gardens and external landscaping.

New galleries include “Window on Wearside” which will feature “vibrant displays of star objects and new favourites, tactiles, interactives and AVs to enjoy Sunderland’s story of sports, music, events and more".

The library space, which will become empty following library services relocating to Culture House in 2026, will become “Sunderland Story”, allowing visitors to “connect with the river and land to explore the innovative and industrious history of Sunderland from its very beginning” through “mass displays of early archaeology, ship models and mining lanterns, interactive games and stories”.

There will also be the creation of a new community learning facility, ‘The Growing Space', in the space currently occupied by the museum shop that will complement the community garden adjacent to the winter gardens.

It is set to feature a huge “central island tree sculpture” overhanging circular modular tables and chairs and will be a “programmable, multi-audience space to learn about the environment, growing and sustainability”, with provision for “fun and messy play [and] provision for live plants”.

The third floor gallery is also expected to see a new gallery fit out to create ‘The Hold’, an open storage display where “visitors can step into the ‘stores’ and explore collections from a new perspective”, with the city's “pottery and glass collections taking their spotlight here", according to council planning documents.

Back in November, 2025, Sunderland City Council's cabinet of senior councillors approved an additional £1.4 million of capital funding on top of the funding already committed for the redevelopment by the city council, Arts Council England and the Friends of Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, should this be required.

Councillor Beth Jones, the council's cabinet member for communities, culture and tourism, said the decision would "allow us to press ahead with the exciting four-year redevelopment of the museum next year [2026]."

Sunderland's new Eye Hospital

The new Sunderland Eye Hospital will house South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s leading cataract treatment centre, which is one of the biggest services of its kind in the country.

The existing hospital carries out up to 7,000 cataract operations a year using the two theatres at Sunderland Eye Infirmary and with a third theatre being added to the new site in Sunderland city centre, it is expected this will speed up access to care even further.

Once completed, the £48 million facility will also include a 24/7 emergency department, retina unit for macular conditions, surgical day unit, and imaging hub and outpatients department.

A new children’s outpatient facility and additional operating theatres will also be located in the new eye hospital.

All scaffolding was removed from the exterior of the building in recent months revealing its full exterior for the first time and the eye hospital, once operational, will become the new home for the city's eye infirmary as services relocate from the existing Ashbrooke site.

Construction of the new eye hospital is due to finish in the first half of 2026 with an opening date for patients announced as summer, 2026.

Nile + Villiers community housing development in Sunniside

Works have been progressing on the Nile + Villiers community this year and the project is expected, once complete, to deliver 75 homes and commercial space to help regenerate the Sunniside area.

The site is bound by High Street West, Villiers Street, Coronation Street and Nile Street and buildings have already started to rise from the ground changing the skyline in this part of the city centre.

Plans for new housing were approved by city councillors back in July, 2024, and of the 75 homes being built, housing developer-operator Placefirst will forward fund the delivery of 65 dwellings, which will see the firm own and manage the private rented homes, and the remaining properties are expected to be sold to local buyers.

The development is being delivered on behalf of Sunderland City Council, with TOWN in the role of development manager, and falls against a backdrop of wider efforts to improve the Sunniside area.

This includes improvements to what was the Sunniside Leisure Complex, now rebranded as Sunniside Social, with plans recently approved to improve the appearance of several buildings to help attract new operators to fill vacant units, a move which follows the multi-million pound redevelopment welcoming cinema operator Omniplex to Sunderland.

George Clarke's 'Home of Books'

Plans for a new bookshop, café and flexible event space on Wearside led by Washington-born TV architect George Clarke were given the green light earlier this month (December 2025) and aim to revive a historic Grade II-listed building.

The project for the property at 176 High Street West, next door to Sonny’s and Pop Recs, also includes transforming the upper floors into an apartment that would be used by the presenter and his family as well as being marketed as boutique accommodation for short stays when he isn’t in town.

Ground floor plans for the bookshop aim to create a space that is “open, inviting, and shaped by […] good design, great books, and bringing people together”, with a “focus on titles that reflect the spirit of Sunderland, architecture, art, photography, music, food, history, and creativity."

The apartment above will be themed around the industries which built Sunderland including shipbuilding, coalmining and stained-glass work, paying homage to George’s home city.

It is hoped that George Clarke’s “Home of Books” will open in 2026, coinciding with the National Year of Reading.

Sheepfolds housing development

The land at the Sheepfolds Industrial Estate is earmarked for a major transformation under council regeneration plans and demolition work has been taking place in phases to prepare the site for housing development.

Sunderland City Council recently announced Vistry Group as the preferred developer for a new residential community on the site comprising up to 600 new homes, along with new commercial and community spaces, as part of council plans to boost the city centre’s population.

A formal planning application was submitted earlier this year (2025) seeking “full planning permission for the demolition of 38 industrial units (part-retrospective)”, along with outline planning permission for “proposed phased development for up to 600 homes of residential accommodation”, a “mobility hub”, “up to 1,750sqm of commercial space” and associated infrastructure works and mitigation.

During the planning process however, the plans sparked controversy including a high-profile objection from Sunderland AFC, with concerns the plans could jeopardise potential Stadium of Light expansion.

This included the "proposed redevelopment of the south stand", which former Sunderland chairman Sir Bob Murray said would be put at "serious risk" through council development on a previous "buffer zone", along with wider fears that plans could restrict the stadium’s ability to host concerts, community events and Premier League matchdays.

Sunderland City Council's chief executive Patrick Melia has previously insisted the Sheepfolds plan would not impact the Stadium of Light after warnings from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Sir Bob Murray.

The council's top officer, speaking in August, 2025, maintained proposals would "improve operations and fan experience in terms of matchdays and other events" and said that the local authority "remained committed to working with SAFC about their plans for the expansion of the Stadium of Light", noting "we have held many discussions with Mr Louis-Dreyfus and his team to this effect."

At the time of writing, Sunderland City Council's planning portal website confirms there have been 300 public objections to the Sheepfolds housing plan following a consultation exercise.

A large number of objections reference impacts on SAFC's Stadium of Light, while some objections also raise concerns about whether there is "sufficient" sewage network capacity for the proposed new homes and wider impacts around traffic and infrastructure.

Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website originally listed a decision deadline of November 4, 2025, for the housing plans.

At a meeting of the council's Planning and Highways Committee on November 24, 2025, it was confirmed a "time extension" had been agreed for a decision on the hybrid planning application to April 3, 2026.

Sunderland City Council, in a statement in December, 2025, confirmed that "additional time" was needed for the planning application.

A decision on the planning application, which could be amended as part of the planning process, is expected to be made by councillors at a crunch Planning and Highways Committee meeting in 2026.

High Street West redevelopment

Council plans to redevelop a huge section of Sunderland’s high street for potential new offices, leisure spaces, shops and apartments are likely to go before councillors for decision in 2026.

Sunderland City Council recently submitted an application to its own planning department seeking outline planning permission for a “mixed-use development” at 56-90 High Street West.

The application site comprises four ‘development plots’ at the north of High Street West, including the existing Sports Direct store and adjacent Dicksons unit, the former Marks & Spencer store which is now vacant, the now demolished site of the former Argos and Mothercare store, and the existing ‘West Walk’ retail unit located between Queen Street and the Holiday Inn.

The city centre buildings have been earmarked for major changes for some time as part of the Riverside Sunderland regeneration scheme, with the council maintaining new proposals will create a mix of retail, commercial, leisure, and residential spaces, boosting the local economy and enhancing the city centre’s lifestyle offer.

The local authority, announcing a formal planning application for the development plots in August, 2025, said proposed new buildings had been designed with flexibility in mind, with upper floors able to accommodate either commercial office space for businesses, or high quality apartments to boost the city centre population, along with active ground floor space to attract shoppers and visitors.

The plans also include the removal of the enclosed footbridge, which currently connects High Street West with St Mary’s Multi-Storey Car Park, as part of a package of public realm improvements that aim to “restore historic connections and enhance pedestrian access to the former Vaux site.”

As an outline planning application, the council is seeking permission for the principle of mixed-use development across the High Street West plots, with the final details of design, scale and appearance of each plot expected to be determined in future in the “reserved matters” application process.

The exact amount of floorspace for each proposed use is also not fixed to allow the development to “respond and evolve to market demand”, according to a previous council planning statement.

Supporting planning documents also made specific reference to the former Marks & Spencer building, with CGI images showing the M&S facade retained and incorporated into a redeveloped building as the council’s “preferred approach”, however, it is not certain that the facade will be retained, with a design and access statement noting any decision will be "subject to the outcome of a viability appraisal at the detailed design stage”.

A decision on the wider High Street West development was due in 2025, with a decision deadline for the scheme listed on the council's planning portal website as November 26, 2025.

However, the planning application did not appear on any recent agendas for the decision-making Planning and Highways Committee and key updates are now expected in 2026.

Housing and leisure developments at Riverside Sunderland

The major Riverside Sunderland development on the former Vaux site, which is changing the face of the city, is expected to progress in 2026 with work on a number of housing sites.

Build-to-rent specialist Placefirst recently broke ground at a new development at Galley's View, previously referred to as the Farringdon Row development, which aims to deliver 165 new homes.

The plans, which were approved by city councillors at a meeting in January, 2025, are expected to deliver a “high-quality residential neighbourhood” with 67 houses and 98 apartments amongst a network of open spaces.

Apartment blocks for the Placefirst scheme will be arranged along the clifftop edge which overlooks Galley’s Gill, along with a clifftop footpath overlooking the new Riverside Park, with views of the River Wear and the coast.

New housing development is also progressing on land on the former Vaux site near The Beam and Keel Crossing, with apartment blocks being delivered by Building Design (Northern) Limited at the northern edge of the Vaux site and sustainable developer Igloo Regeneration recently commencing construction of 34 new city centre dwellings at the Riverside Sunderland site.

The new housing will be complemented by a new Riverside Park which will continue to take shape in 2026, transforming what was once empty space on the edge of the city centre into accessible green space.

Covering 13.7 hectares of parkland and 5.3 hectares of riverfront, the park will be delivered in phases and will be made up of five areas: Southern Gateway, Kingsley Gardens, Galley’s Gill, Lambton Riverside, and Wearmouth Riverside.

The first 14 of 88 trees to be introduced in phase one were recently planted on the western edge of Kingsley Gardens, and city leaders maintained the wider project would "see existing heritage sites preserved, while creating new and enhanced habitats, reintroducing native species that maximise biodiversity, and supporting active healthy lifestyles."

Sunderland Station

Since its official opening in December, 2023, the multi-million pound redeveloped Sunderland Station southern concourse, at Market Square, has faced several issues.

This has included the rail station’s public toilets being put out of action due to vandalism, as well as the station’s lifts being damaged and staff being “targeted” while attempting to clean facilities.

The three main retail units at the site, including one large unit facing Market Square and two smaller units facing Waterloo Street, have also not been occupied by businesses.

In recent months, there have been efforts to boost footfall at the rail station and improve its environment, with art and craft market events and live music, as well as the recent addition of a new independent business Caribe Coffee.

At the time of writing, Caribe Coffee is currently the only food and drink operator trading within the train station concourse entrance, but those behind the sustainable coffee brand hope they will be joined by more businesses in future.

Sunderland Station’s operator Northern, in a statement in December, 2025, confirmed there could be positive announcements for the main retail unit in 2026.

A Northern spokesperson confirmed “the larger of the three units” is currently “under offer” and that they are “looking to have a tenant beginning a fit out in the new year [2026]”.

Although Northern said there had been “some interest in the other two smaller units”, they confirmed “no fixed agreements [are] in place on those currently”.

Northern added they were "keen to attract local independent brands, offering flexible short and longer term deals" and were "also looking to attract more pop-up operators for the concourse", as well as "increasing the number of security guards who patrol the station.”

New Esports Arena planned near Stadium of Light

Plans for this development were approved back in August, 2023, which involve transforming a former car showroom site near the Stadium of Light into a landmark Esports arena.

Esports, also known as electronic sports, refers to organised competitive video gaming in which teams and individual players showcase their skills, often in front of large live audiences, to win trophies and cash prizes.

The arena is part of the wider National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland, which includes The Place and "gaming houses" in Sunniside, and has evolved since initial plans were submitted.

In an announcement in summer, 2025, the national federation for Esports announced the venue is to open in early 2026 after financing was approved by a leading high street bank.

Those behind the new facility said it would be equipped with a 200-seat theatre, a 17m-wide LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, retail and hospitality facilities, performance rooms, and an expansive outdoor activation space.

British Esports added it will be the first of its kind Esports arena in Europe, and “aims to be one of the best in the world”, with construction hoardings currently in place at the former car showroom site.

Glassworks Sunderland in Sunniside

The former Peter Smith Antiques warehouse has previously been announced as the location for a replacement provision for the National Glass Centre (NGC), following the University of Sunderland's controversial decision to close the NGC at the end of July, 2026.

Council cabinet documents have previously described Glassworks Sunderland as “a new hub for glassmaking in the city, offering specialist facilities for artists and the public to create and produce glass art.”

The overall capital cost of the scheme has previously been reported as £7.5 million and council cabinet papers discussed in July, 2025, said the site would be a “nationally significant centre of excellence for glassmaking” which would “drive economic growth and support cultural regeneration.”

An ‘interim provision’ is also expected to be put in place in the city to address the gap between the NGC’s closure and Glassworks Sunderland’s planned opening in 2028.

Glassworks Sunderland is expected to be operated by Sunderland Culture and although the finer details of the proposed development are awaited, the project has already been described as a “downgrade” by some.

Save the National Glass Centre campaigners have said Sunderland City Council’s decision to continue with the development ignores public concern over “safety, location and cultural loss”, along with concerns that the capital estimate for the scheme could be exceeded.

A recent planning application for the antiques warehouse site, approved by councillors in November, 2025, aimed to “address building defects that are compromising the property’s structural stability and external envelope."

Local authority bosses, speaking at the Planning and Highways Committee meeting, said there was a "direction of travel linked to Glassworks" and that the council had "secured that funding to do these works to safeguard the property [which is] grant funding rather than the council’s own resources.”

The Planning and Highways Committee heard without further action, “the decay will become worse” and although it is “generally a well-built building which has been looked after to a point by the previous owner”, it needed “significant investment to restore it and make it usable for future users.”

Sunderland City Council confirmed that work on the Peter Smith Antiques building would be "undertaken by March, 2026, and includes repairs to the roof, windows, masonry and concrete structure as well as mechanical and electrical upgrades."

A council statement following the submission of the planning application for building repair works in late-2025, said the "remediated Peter Smith Antiques Warehouse building" would "provide space for a Creative Hub that will catalyse Sunniside’s creative community".

The statement added: [This] use will complement neighbouring creative investments at venues like the Norfolk Hotel and building on new housing investment, exciting new leisure facilities and a creative community that is already established there.

“Sunderland Culture has set out ambitions to create a new hub for glassmaking in the building, offering specialist facilities for artists and the public to create and produce glass art.

“The planning application is an important milestone in preparation for the enabling works funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.”

A previous cabinet report discussed by senior councillors in July, 2025, also said that subject to “bridging the funding gap, developing a viable operating model and satisfying the remaining Arts Council England grant conditions”, the programme of delivery for the “main phase” of Glassworks Sunderland could start on site in autumn 2026.