Our proposals for a new flagship residential neighbourhood on Farringdon Row, have received planning approval, marking a new significant milestone within the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan.
Following Sunderland City Council’s decision, we will begin transforming the 4.57-acre brownfield site into a high-quality 165-home neighbourhood by June 2025.
Consisting of 67 homes and 98 apartments for long-term rent, ranging in size from 2-3 bedrooms and 1-2 bedrooms respectively, Farringdon Row will play a significant role in Sunderland’s vision of a more liveable city.
The addition of these professionally managed homes with modern amenities will continue to raise the standard of rental living across Sunderland City, following in the footsteps of the existing Placefirst neighbourhood, Scholars View, located in Hetton-le-Hole.
With each home designed to achieve an EPC ‘A’ rating and boasting a mix of private and communal gardens throughout, the neighbourhood is testament to both Placefirst and Sunderland City Council’s ambitions to create a sustainable community. Designed to reflect the cliff edges overlooking the surrounding area, the neighbourhood will echo the greenery and nature of the nearby River Wear and Riverside Park.
Farringdon Row is the second residential neighbourhood within Sunderland’s city centre regeneration project dubbed ‘Riverside Sunderland’, which aims to build 1,000 new homes and 1 million sq ft of office space in the former industrial heart of the city. The plans were completed in collaboration with local architects ID Partnerships and development consultants IC Planning, sustainable engineering consultants Cundall, landscape architects LUC and mechanical and electrical engineering consultants TACE.
Placefirst have worked collaboratively with Sunderland City Council, the North East Combined Authority and Homes England to secure critical funding to support the delivery of this brownfield site in the Riverside regeneration area.
Alun Davies, Head of Planning at Placefirst, said: “Amidst an ongoing housing crisis, the urgency to deliver better rental options in cities has never been greater. By working closely with Sunderland City Council we’re pleased to have been able to fast-track the progress of this development to help realise Sunderland’s potential as one of the North East’s most vibrant and sought-after locations.
“There doesn’t need to be a compromise between high-quality sustainable housing, green spaces, and accessible city centre living – and Farringdon Row’s sustainability credentials, abundant greenery and central location show our commitment to delivering all three. We look forward to continuing to serve Sunderland’s growing communities, ensuring our homes meet the city’s evolving needs, as we start on site later this year.”
Councillor Kevin Johnston, cabinet member for business, housing and regeneration at Sunderland City Council, said:
“I am delighted that plans for new homes at Farringdon Row will – very soon – be under construction, creating more city centre accommodation that will boost the number of residents living in the heart of Sunderland.
“Riverside Sunderland is a critical driver for the regeneration of the whole of the city centre, as we know that – by increasing our residential population and also driving more businesses to locate here – we can deliver the critical mass of people needed to support our retail core and leisure venues, in turn uplifting the whole area. It’s a massive step forward in a part of the city that is – quite simply – unrecognisable from the place it once was.”
The Riverside Sunderland masterplan aims to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent, and also fits with the city’s housing strategy which will see 7,000 new homes built by 2030.