Sunderland City Council has secured over £680,000 of grant funding from the UK Government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) to support the provision of infrastructure and utilities for the 133-home Vaux Housing development.
Situated on the site of the former Vaux brewery, which is rapidly becoming a vibrant business and residential neighbourhood, the scheme will offer panoramic views over the River Wear, as well as access to Riverside Park and shared growing spaces.
The development will comprise apartments, townhouses, and maisonettes, using modern methods of construction, renewable energy systems and smart technology to reduce the carbon footprint of the development, while producing high quality, energy efficient properties in the beating heart of the city.
Young people from the city’s newly-opened Housing & Innovation Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) will also support the developers building the homes.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration, and business at Sunderland City Council said: “The Vaux Housing scheme will support our strategic ambition to repopulate the city centre, providing a major boost to the daytime and nighttime economy, so we are delighted that the Government has thrown its backing behind the development.
“The high quality new homes that are being delivered at Vaux site will meet the needs of a diverse range of residents who are looking to relocate to the city centre and take advantage of the significant investment that is taking place and the vibrant new lifestyle offer that is being created.
“It is another anchor development taking shape at Riverside Sunderland which is fast being recognised as one of the UK’s most ambitious and exciting city centre regeneration projects.”
Vaux Housing is one of four new residential communities being built at Riverside Sunderland which will deliver around 1,000 new homes for approximately 2,500 residents.
Included in the scheme will be a cluster of award-winning homes being delivered by Igloo Regeneration Ltd, that were selected as the best in the national Homes of 2030 design competition – which explored how homes will look and function in the future.
The competition, which was managed by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), encouraged the design of environmentally friendly homes that support people in leading independent, fulfilling lives.
Cllr Johnston added: “We’re thinking big in Sunderland. We don’t just want homes – we want the best homes. Homes that raise the bar and the Vaux Housing development is helping us to satisfy that ambition.
“For Sunderland to be building the homes of the future, designed by some of the industry’s brightest minds with support from local students from HICSA, is just another example of how we are breaking the mould when it comes to city planning and why Riverside Sunderland has been dubbed ‘the UK’s best place in progress.’
“And with more exciting developments under construction and in the pipeline, hopefully the best is still to come.”
Creating high quality new homes is one of the core ambitions of the Riverside Sunderland masterplan, which aims to double the resident population of the city centre and create 10,000 new city centre jobs, as well as creating new places and spaces for people to enjoy.
For the latest developments from Riverside Sunderland, visit www.riversidesunderland.com.
