Permission granted for first phase of film studio
Permission granted for first phase of film studio
Evie Lake - North East and CumbriaFri, October 2, 2026 at 8:11 AM UTC
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The first of the new buildings will stand to the east of the site
The first phase of a city's new film studio has been granted planning permission.
Studio One at Crown Works in Sunderland will have three sound stages, production accommodation, backlot space and a car park.
The WH Foster Printworks building will also be refurbished as part of the plans, which were given the go-ahead by the city council's planning authority this week.
Site preparations and remediation works have been completed, with further enabling work needed before building begins.
Officials behind the scheme previously said building work was expected to begin in autumn 2026.
The Reform council's leader Chris Eynon said it was a "significant step forward" which "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 production".
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The construction of Crown Works is expected to begin later in the year
The development is backed by more than £38m of public money from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.
The original £450m privately funded plans had included 19 studios, but were later scaled down to two after investors pulled out.
Liberal Democrat councillor for Pallion, Martin Haswell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he "sincerely hoped we don't see a watering down of the project over time".
"We've seen some investors dropping out and we've seen questions being asked about its viability," he said.
"I genuinely hope that particularly the new administration at the council back it and we do get to see this land developed because it has been a blight on the landscape in Pallion."
Labour North East mayor Kim McGuinness said the authority was "backing the whole sector" and "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".
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Related internet links
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Sunderland City Council
North East Mayoral Strategic Authority
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