Sunderland film studios granted planning permission in huge moment for the city

Plans for one of the largest film making complexes in Europe on the banks of the River Wear have cleared the final hurdle.

Planning permission has now been granted for Crown Works Studios, which is expected to create thousands of jobs across the North East.

The proposals were voted through by Sunderland City Council's planning and highways committee today, Monday, March 25.

It comes after a Budget announcement of £37million of Government grants plus new fundraising powers, which will enable the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (Nemca) to deliver the regeneration project.

The film studios project will see the 'high-profile and exciting' 154,215sqm development, a joint venture between Cain International and entertainment company Fulwell73, the company behind The Kardashians, Friends: the Reunion, and Sunderland Til I Die, take shape on either side of the Northern Spire Bridge.

The move is expected to create 8,450 jobs across the North East over the next decade. 

The team behind the project, which has Sunderland City Council as a 'strategic partner', say the region is now set to become a major destination for film and high-end TV production in the wake of news that will transform the local economy.

They say it will spur a 'creative industrial revolution in one of the UK's most exciting sectors', pumping more than £300million a year into the regional economy.

The team say the development will enable the North East to play a far greater role in future growth of the UK's offer to the global film and high-end TV industry, says planning specialist Lichfields, which has co-ordinated and led the planning application process, including the Environmental Statement, organising a major public consultation in summer 2023 and the collation of feedback.

The studio hub will feature 19 premium sound stages, offices, workshops, a vendor village, and an extensive backlot - all built on a brownfield site on the banks of the River Wear - providing the infrastructure required to support the blockbuster productions, as well as smaller scale projects. 

Lichfields and Sunderland City Council also believe the studios will foster an eco-system on a scale not seen since Nissan’s investment in Sunderland in the 1980s, while meeting the growing demand for studio space in the UK. 

Set to be delivered in three phases, work on the scheme is set to start this year with the final phase set to complete by 2027.

The move comes amid a number of major regeneration schemes underway in Wearside, including the 33-hectare Riverside Sunderland site, which aims to create jobs and contract opportunities spanning a vast range of disciplines including the trades and manual skills.

The total value of UK screen is forecast to rise to £7.5billion by 2025, generating an estimated in excess of 100,000 jobs in the UK.

Harvey Emms, senior director and Head of the Lichfields Newcastle office, said: “This is one of the most high-profile and exciting developments to come forward in the North East in recent years.

"It will put the region on the map as an international centre for broadcast and film production, creating thousands of jobs and economic prosperity in the process.

“It also brings the dramatic transformation of Sunderland’s Riverside a lot closer so, we are delighted to be involved in the project and look forward to continuing to support Fulwell73 and other partners closely to see their vision become a reality.”

“Boosting the North East’s position as a vibrant centre for the creative and visual arts, the ambitious plans are expected to deliver a huge contribution to the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda through the creation of the largest studio film complex outside of London and the South East.

“The project is supported by Sunderland City Council, which has brought together a number of key partners to work with the investors to secure planning around the development of the skills-base needed to support the scheme.”