Sunderland's response after claim new film studios should be built in Newcastle

The huge film production hub on the banks of the River Wear has been hailed as a game-changer for the city.

Plans were approved earlier this year, and it is hoped the project will deliver more than 8,000 new jobs and transform the region’s creative industries.

The £475million scheme is being delivered by FulwellCain, a joint venture between Sunderland ‘Til I Die creators Fulwell 73 and investment firm Cain International, and has won financial backing from the North East Combined Authority.

But a former councillor has alleged that Wearside is “possibly the worst location” in the North East for the studios.

Ex-councillor Brian Moore alleged in front of Newcastle City Council last week that “poor” transport links and an “embarrassing lack of hotels” in Sunderland made it unsuitable – and called on decision-makers to lobby for the development to be relocated to Tyneside.

The outspoken Mr Moore, a former Liberal Democrat councillor in Newcastle who was until recently the leader of the North East Party, also claimed Sunderland has a “severe lack of arts infrastructure”.

Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey called the criticism “parochial and narrow-minded” and praised the studios as a development to “absolutely transform the regional economy, creating jobs and opportunities for people and businesses right across the North East”.

Mr Moore, whose eclectic political history has also seen him be a candidate for both the Conservatives and UKIP, said in a public address to last Wednesday’s meeting: “To be blunt, Sunderland in the region is about possibly the worst location for a film studio in the North East. As the film studio is being supported by the single largest public investment since Nissan, which is also in Sunderland, a reasonable person would expect the whole region would gain with this jobs bonanza of up to 8,000 jobs, not just one corner.

“Unlike Sunderland, Newcastle is the regional transport hub, including an international airport, a seemingly unlimited number of trains to the rest of the country, a direct link to the UK motorways, a plethora of hotels, and world-recognised arts scene. The choice the region and the elected mayor has is the film studio can be sited at the end of a branch line or at the regional transport, arts and hotels hub.”

Labour councillor Alex Hay, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member responsible for economic development, replied that he did not want to “trash the neighbours” and called the Crown Works Studios a “game-changer” for the entire North East that would bring more than 8,000 jobs – including everything from makeup artists to accountants, caterers to taxi drivers.

He confirmed that Newcastle had held talks with Fulwell 73 about potential locations, but that Sunderland was chosen as the best spot – not least because of the company’s well-known personal connections to Wearside.

Cllr Hay said: “Our teams worked with Fulwell 73 when they first engaged with the region in 2021 with plans to open a studio. After extensive research looking at a number of sites across the North East, the brownfield site on the banks of the Wear with its large land availability was deemed the most suitable for the development, which is set to become a world-leading centre for film and high-end TV. Fulwell 73 have strong links to Sunderland and it is where their founder, Leo Pearlman, was born. He created the series Sunderland Til I Die based on the football club and it is ultimately their decision as to where to locate their studio.”

He also welcomed the news that Leeds-based TV production company True North Post will be opening a new base in Newcastle.

CllrMordey, who was recently installed as Sunderland’s council leader after the Labour Party controversially removed his predecessor Graeme Miller, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Crown Works Studios will absolutely transform the regional economy, creating jobs and opportunities for people and businesses right across the North East. I am immensely proud that it will be based in Sunderland, the location of choice for prestigious brands like Nissan, Ocado, Just Eat and Tombola, all of which benefit from the many assets the city has to offer.

“The huge wave of support, and spirit of collaboration that the studios has attracted – not least seeing every front page of the region’s newspapers backing the bid to bring this investment to Sunderland – is testament to the strength of partnership that exists in this region, and our ability to unite behind a common cause. Parochial and narrow-minded views, like those Mr Moore has shared, serve absolutely no purpose in politics, particularly at a time when working together as a devolved region is the key to further investment.”

Fulwell 73 was contacted for a comment.