City ready to invest in its passion for sport

Jan 14 2009 by Graeme King, The Journal

PLANS for a £130m sports village next to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland have been launched by regeneration company Sunderland Arc.

There are plans for substantial new facilities for sports such as tennis or badminton at the north end of the site, as well as a hotel, housing and offices to the south of the stadium.

The consultation material also cryptically refers to the need for a new “landmark” building on a prominent corner of the site facing the River Wear.

At the bottom of the site is a location for a proposed pedestrian bridge to link Stadium Village with the Vaux site, and the Arc wants a “Way for Light” to be a new route through the scheme from the new bridge up to the stadium.

A project to move businesses from the Sheepfolds area of the city, between the stadium and the Wearmouth Bridge, has been going on for many months.

The Arc aims to build on the success of Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light and the award-winning Aquatic Centre next to it.

A blueprint for the project has now gone on display at the Civic Centre and will also be shown throughout the city until mid-February.

The Arc is working with the city council and One North East to bring the project forward.

The draft development blueprint sets out what the Arc sees as appropriate uses for the long-term development of the Sheepfolds site and is intended to provide guidance to developers on how the scheme should be developed over the next 15 years.

Sunderland Arc property development manager Simon Elliot said: “The football stadium and Sunderland Aquatic Centre are already here and, together with our partners, we hope to build on these fantastic facilities and create a critical mass of sports and leisure facilities for the city and the wider region.

“The development framework sets out the key principles and factors for consideration, such as types of uses, buildings and public spaces, that are necessary and appropriate in achieving the proper redevelopment of this important area and complements our wider vision for the regeneration of central Sunderland.”

The public are being invited to comment on the plans.

The Stadium Village scheme is one of several Sunderland Arc is currently pursuing.

The vexed question of the Vaux site is now moving towards a resolution with site owner Tesco aiming to open a store north of the Wear, and a development scheme is close to being presented for the Holmeside Triangle site at the southern end of the city centre.

Developer Thornfield put forward designs for a 100 metre tower known as Spirit of Sunderland, last year, but it is not known how this might feature in the Holmeside plans.

… we hope to build on these fantastic facilities and create a critical mass of sports facilities