Sunderland is 'Premier League' for regeneration, says Homes England chief

Sunderland’s multi-billion-pound regeneration has been praised as an ‘exemplar in urban regeneration’ by an executive director of the Government’s housing agency.

Speaking at Expo Sunderland, a two-day conference held at Sunderland City Hall on 15-16 October, Homes England executive Mike Palin hailed the city as being ‘in the Premier League’ for getting things done.

Mike said: “If you look through the majority of projects Homes England has worked on over recent years, regeneration was barely mentioned, however projects such as Riverside Sunderland are changing that.

“Having visited so many towns and cities over recent years, there aren’t many that can deliver a message so clearly of what they want to achieve as Sunderland can. Of all the places in England, it is in the Premier League of places with the drive to get things done.”

His remarks came after the city secured over £42 million from the UK Government to advance its ambitious Riverside Sunderland masterplan.

The funding will accelerate the creation of critical infrastructure, unlock brownfield sites for development, and deliver around 1,000 new homes, community infrastructure, and 1 million sq ft of employment space, further cementing Sunderland’s transformation.

Mike added: “Our board has visited and seen for itself what Sunderland has to offer.

“They’ve heard from those with direct involvement what needs to change from a national perspective, which is why getting into cities like Sunderland is so important, it helps us understand what must be done to transform similar areas across the UK.

“It’s a real example of how we can transform towns and cities across the UK.”

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