Construction of Studio One at Sunderland's Crown Works could begin this autumn if planning permission is approved. The proposed complex on the River Wear would feature three sound stages, production accommodation, a backlot and a refurbished WH Foster Printworks building. The project has secured £38.5m of public funding and phase one aims to start a gradual build-out after a larger private plan was scaled back.
Sunderland's 'Studio One' Could Break Ground This Autumn — Three Sound Stages and £38.5m Backing
The first of the new buildings will stand to the east of the site [Supplied]
Construction of a new film studio in Sunderland — Studio One at Crown Works on the banks of the River Wear — could begin this autumn if planning permission is granted.
The planning application submitted to the city's planning authority sets out final designs for the site. The proposal includes:
- Three sound stages and production accommodation
- A backlot area and a dedicated car park
- Refurbishment and integration of the WH Foster Printworks building
Project officials say the site has already been prepared and, subject to approval, construction work is expected to start later in the year.
The construction of Crown Works is expected to begin later in the year [BBC]
Council leader Councillor Chris Eynon described the plans as an 'exciting step forward' for Sunderland.
The scheme is backed by £38.5m of public funding from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority. Mayor Kim McGuinness said the investment should help deliver 'jobs for local people on their doorstep' and called planning approval 'the last hurdle to bringing world-class film and TV shows to the North East'.
Earlier proposals envisioned a much larger privately funded scheme — a £450m plan with 19 studios — but that project was scaled back to two studios after private investors withdrew. Phase one of Studio One is intended to begin a gradual build-out of the site, with further public and private backing expected to expand the complex in later stages.
If planning permission is granted, officials expect work at Crown Works to start in the autumn.
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