What is the Public Notice Portal?
The Public Notice Portal carries statutory public notices published in local newspapers and is the fastest and most effective way of finding out what is happening in YOUR neighbourhood.
Search the Public Notice Portal
Plans for the first phase of a major film and TV studio project has been given the go-ahead.
Sunderland City Council has approved plans for the first phase of Crown Works Studios, a 31-hectare site on the banks of the River Wear.
The development will create a new hub for high-end film and television production.
(Image: NECA)
The approved Studio One plan includes 125,000 square feet of production space, three sound stages, ancillary production accommodation, backlot space and parking, following a revised planning application submitted earlier this year.
It also features the refurbishment of the historic WH Foster Printworks building.
Extensive site preparation and remediation works have already been completed, with enabling work continuing in autumn 2026.
The project is designed to meet the technical and operational needs of modern film and TV production.
Councillor Chris Eynon, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "This is a significant step forward for Crown Works and paves the way for construction of a development that will establish Sunderland and the North East as a major destination for film and high-end TV production.
"Studio One will create world-class infrastructure on the banks of the Wear, opening up opportunities for local people and businesses.
"This is an exciting development for Sunderland and one that will create jobs, attract investment and position our city and the region to capture a wide range of opportunities in this global industry."
Kim McGuinness, North East mayor, said: "I promised to deliver Crown Works Studios, and this is another important milestone to opening the region’s first film and TV studios on the banks of the Wear.
"But we’re not just building the infrastructure.
"We’re backing the whole sector.
"Investing in skills, supporting creative businesses and attracting more productions to the region, to make sure that Crown Works delivers opportunities for working class creatives."
The scheme has secured more than £38 million from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and forms part of the Crown Works Growth Zone.
Read More:
The zone, focused on job creation, sits within the wider Riverside Sunderland Creative Mayoral Development Zone, stretching from the Northern Spire bridge to the coast.
Public investment in land assembly, remediation, and Studio One delivery will bring total public-sector funding in the area to just over £60 million.
The first phase is expected to attract further public and private investment, supporting the growth of creative industries across the region.