TOWN revealed the residential-led plans for the Nile + Villiers community in March this year, which will breathe new life into the historic heart of the Sunniside area of the city centre.

Centrepiece of a wider place strategy developed over the last 18 months, the development project will transform the vacant site in Sunniside into a creative and cultural hub.

A key site as part of Sunderland’s City Plan, the development will bring a residential population back into the city centre, offering high-quality homes and vibrant city life.

Of those 75 homes being built, award-winning single-family housing developer-operator, Placefirst will forward fund the delivery of 65 dwellings which will see them own and manage the homes upon completion in 2026. The remaining 10 properties will be sold to local buyers.

The project, which was conceived with local community organisation Back on the Map working with TOWN and Create Streets, is supported by over £4 million of the previous government’s Levelling-Up Fund investment. TOWN has worked with a design team led by Xsite Architecture to prepare the scheme proposals.

Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said: “It is fantastic to see work pressing ahead on the development of the Nile + Villiers community.

“The new homes, as well as the commercial and community units, will provide a significant economic boost to the local area and play a key role in helping us meet our ambitious housing targets.”

The project will feature a mix of two- and three-bedroom houses and duplexes echoing the historic fabric and grain of the site, a community energy microgrid providing residents with clean affordable energy, and shared gardens for residents. A new mixed-use building will recreate the frontage to High Street West and ensure the scheme is sensitively integrated within the Old Sunderland Conservation Area.
 

David Mawson, CEO of Placefirst, said: “Once complete, Nile + Villiers will be a key element in the regeneration of Sunderland, and as developer-operators, we understand the crucial role that quality and secure housing plays in any ambitious city undergoing transformation.

“In partnership with TOWN and Sunderland City Council, the scheme will see the delivery of high-quality housing solutions in the right area to meet local housing needs. Alongside our people-first approach to renting, our professionally managed homes will ensure that the evolving needs of tenants are met, as Sunderland prepares to welcome many residents back to the city centre.”

A design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) approach is being adopted to ensure construction is affordable, high-quality and generates opportunities for local workers and suppliers. The site, three blocks east of Sunderland station, will be cycle and pedestrian friendly in keeping with the Council’s low carbon and active travel objectives.

Construction is expected to start later in 2024 with the first properties likely to be occupied in 2026.

The post Committee Resolve to Grant Permission for Sustainable New Homes in Sunniside, Sunderland appeared first on Placefirst Latest News.

Placefirst has been appointed as Preferred Development Partner by Sunderland City Council to deliver 140 new homes at Farringdon Row, the second residential neighbourhood within the transformative Riverside Sunderland masterplan. The sustainable new community will benefit from views across the Wear and the regenerated Riverside Park and support the diversification of the housing offer and repopulation of the city centre.

Placefirst will deliver an exemplar BTR neighbourhood of high-quality energy efficient homes specially designed for long term rent. It will also feature a network of communal and public open spaces that will enhance connectivity throughout the new Riverside Sunderland community.

The project team will include locally based architects IDP, development consultants Identity Consult and landscape architects Southern Green.

A planning application is anticipated later in the year, with development planned to start in spring 2024.

Placefirst manage every aspect of their neighbourhoods, from the first rental enquiry through to fully maintaining each home with an on-site presence once complete. Residents at Farringdon Row would benefit from skilled, friendly in-house teams, and dedicated resident services managers.

Placefirst will also support Sunderland City Council and its partners in the funding and delivery of up to 80 homes at Nile and Villiers in Sunniside, which Placefirst will then own and manage. The scheme forms part of the Council’s City Centre Housing Ecosystem which received support from Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund.

These two developments, part of Sunderland’s ambitious social and economic regeneration programme, will add to Placefirst’s strong portfolio of single-family rental homes across the North East which is growing at a fast pace. This includes the thriving community of 116 homes at ‘Scholars View’ in Hetton-le-Hole which completed in 2022, and ‘The Oaks’ in Esh Winning, Durham, where work is underway to build 89 new homes including 54 bungalows. Placefirst also submitted planning recently for its 146 home Benwell Dene neighbourhood in Newcastle.

David Mawson, chief executive officer at Placefirst commented: “We are excited to be working in partnership with Sunderland City Council on these projects and building on our existing track record of creating high-quality neighbourhoods in this region.

“The Riverside Sunderland masterplan is one of the most ambitious residential regeneration projects in the UK and Farringdon Row and Nile Villiers will play a big part in setting the standard for BTR developments throughout the North East. We look forward to progressing with the plans and bringing both these schemes to life, bringing much needed quality new rental homes to the area.”

Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “The rate of transformation at Riverside Sunderland is rapid, and reflects our determination and ambition to make this a world-class place to live, work and play.

“Building high-quality homes in exciting new communities is key to our plan for Riverside Sunderland, and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with Placefirst to bring forward the second residential scheme in this game-changing new urban quarter.”

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