Case study

£20 million funding for skills academy and sustainable housing in Sunderland

£20 million from the Levelling Up Fund, will be used to: build a construction skills academy and develop new housing in Sunderland.

Image of eco housing setup

Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy

Over £9 million will support an academy educating local people to create innovative homes. The first homes will be built at Sheepfolds, near the Stadium of Light.

The Academy will work in partnership with:

City council leader, Councillor Graeme Miller said:

We’re creating opportunities for our young people to develop cutting-edge skills in modern methods of construction”.

Going on he said it will

put Sunderland at the forefront of housebuilding, allowing us to build homes of the future that will create attractive new communities that strengthen the city’s reputation as a world-class place to live. Our innovation in Sunderland is powering the transformation of our city and its economy, creating more opportunities for our residents.

Image of how eco hosing looks

Eco housing development

The remaining funds will build sustainable housing at Sunniside and Riverside Sunderland.

These new homes will be:

  • low carbon structures that use renewable energy
  • constructed using modern methods

Ellen Thinnesen, Chief Executive of Education Partnership North-East said:

We’re committed…[to] advancing the agenda of the city when it comes to building homes using modern methods of construction that are faster to construct and deliver exemplary quality and energy efficiency standards.

Artist’s impression of what homes would look like using modern methods of construction

Find out more information on levelling up.

Published 17 January 2023