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The arc is an urban regeneration company founded by the City of Sunderland, One NorthEast and English Partnerships. It is responsible for leading and coordinating the redevelopment of, and new investment in, key areas of Sunderland.
The arc will work with its partners to engage the private sector in the physical and economic regeneration of the agreed sites within its boundary, towards enhancing the environment of Sunderland, the city’s economy and improving the lives of Sunderland’s people.
Urban Regeneration Companies (URC`s) are independent organisations uniting national, regional and local public and private stakeholders through a company or partnership structure.
Three URCs were set up in 1999:
To date there are 17 URCs: English Partnerships is a funding partner and board member in:
and also offers best practice to:
The board, chaired by Bryan Sanderson CBE, is comprised of non-executive directors representing the arc’s founding and partner organisations.
The professional executive team, led by Chief Executive David Walker, supports the board, managing Sunderland arc on a daily basis and pursuing the arc’s developmental and implementation priorities.
Sunderland arc’s boundary stretches along the south bank of the River Wear from Claxheugh Rock, in the west to the Port in the east. The area also includes the Stadium of Light, St Peter’s Campus and the National Glass Centre on the north bank.
The arc`s boundary therefore embraces much of the city of Sunderland, particularly the `Brownfield` sites and development priority areas around the city centre and along the banks of the Wear.
The arc`s first priority is to secure a development of international quality for the former Vaux Brewery site. Towards this end a detailed masterplan has been produced envisaging a development comprising residential, focal retail, leisure and significant business development.
Other priority sites include Farringdon Row beside the River Wear, Stadium Park, to the North of the River, Sunniside, to the East of the City Centre and Holmeside, where a comprehensive mixed-use scheme is envisaged and the former site of Groves Cranes where an urban village with offices and community facilities is planned.
The City of Sunderland, One NorthEast and English Partnerships. However, the arc is responsible for coordinating plans and attracting new investment from the private sector. Much of the funding of its development priorities will reflect incoming investment.
Like all the URC`s Sunderland arc was established to fulfil the aspirations of the Government`s Urban Taskforce. All the URC`s maintain regular communication - sharing best practice and continuously reviewing approaches and achievements. This process will ensure that the early lessons of the URC`s are instrumental in their continuing development.
As the regeneration of Sunderland proceeds, development opportunities will be advertised and notified on the website. Sunderland arc will also be proactive in communicating with companies which are expanding or plan to expand within the North East and with retailers and developers.
URC`s have no powers or resources beyond those committed by their partner organisations. Sunderland arc will champion, and guide major redevelopment to stimulate and enhance the City`s economy. The arc’s public sector partners may apply their statutory powers, including compulsory purchase rights, to further the company’s goal.
Tesco bought the site in 2002 and still own it. Tesco has plans for a Tesco Extra store, 300,000 sq ft of office space and 340 homes. This is an updated scheme, with Tesco having withdrawn its original superstore application following the arc’s rival plans.
The Vaux site is critical to the regeneration of Sunderland and the arc felt the city deserved more than to have a key gateway site dominated by a giant supermarket, which would ultimately have a detrimental effect by drawing trade away from the city centre.
Following extensive consultation, research and investigation, the arc submitted a scheme that combines housing of real quality within a regenerated environment incorporating commercial buildings, retail and leisure, which will generate thousands of new jobs and in turn help boost the city centre though increased spending and raising the city centre’s profile.
The proposals will complement plans for the neighbouring Farringdon Row site and the Galleys Gill/Festival Park area. The scheme also contains provision for public realm improvements with high quality civic spaces, a dramatic glazed canopy and a pedestrian footbridge across the River Wear linking the site to Stadium Village.
The Vaux site lies within walking distance of existing, good quality, public transport facilities (both trains and buses), meaning that it is ripe at all levels for the high density, well designed, mixed use, good quality employment and residential led development proposed by Sunderland arc.
Sunderland arc’s plans have gained significant public and private sector support, including approval from the Secretary of State (SoS) for Communities and Local Government (CLG) Ruth Kelly in March 2007. Further endorsement was given to these proposals in August 2007 following a public inquiry into planned alterations to the City Council’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP). On this occasion a Government inspector concluded that major retail development such as a supermarket was not suitable for the Vaux site, strengthening the arc’s plans for an office and residential-led development.
Sunderland arc is by no means against having a Tesco store in Sunderland. Since 2002 there has been a constant dialogue between the arc and Tesco for the acquisition of the site. Sunderland arc has always wanted to work with Tesco and would welcome its presence on a retail site which does sit right at the centre of the retail core – Holmeside.
The arc’s outline planning application for Vaux was ‘called in’ for decision by the SoS in February 2006, which is not uncommon for a scheme of this size. A public inquiry followed in June/July 2006, with the only significant objector being the landowner Tesco.
In March 2007 the SoS approved the application subject to conditions similar to those considered at the inquiry and in subsequent consultation with the parties. This was a big milestone for Sunderland arc. Tesco launched a legal challenge against the decision and we are still awaiting the outcome of this. We have been advised that it is unlikely that the hearing will take place before the early months of 2008.
UDP stands for Unitary Development Plan and is currently the document that guides new development and decisions on planning applications in the City under the Town and Country Planning Act (1990). The UDP is important in planning terms because it sets out the future of how land is used within the City, which includes the very important Vaux site.
A public inquiry into planned alterations to the UDP was held in July 2006 following the public inquiry into the arc’s plans for the Vaux site. In August 2007 the Government inspector, who was independently appointed to oversee this inquiry, concluded that major retail development should be confined to a central retail core, strengthening the arc’s plans for an office and residential-led development. This was another huge milestone for Sunderland arc’s vision for the Vaux site and its overarching strategy for regeneration. It has allowed us to confidently progress with our bid to acquire the site and clarifies the planning framework for central Sunderland, encouraging investors and developers to choose this fast-rising city.
The arc is currently in negotiations with Tesco to acquire the site.
If these negotiations fail then the arc’s partner One NorthEast has the statutory power to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire the site. However, this power would only be used as a last resort and following failure of negotiations with the site owner.
The question over when the arc would hope to start work on site is dependent on several factors. If Tesco agree to sell, work could commence on site by the beginning of 2009. If a CPO is necessary this could lead to another inquiry and work would be delayed until 2010.
In the meantime, following the SoS’s approval, the arc is currently working hard with its partners to ensure progress is made in developing this site.
Sunderland arc earmarked Farringdon Row for development as part of a plan to bring quality housing and job opportunities to the city. The site is also seen as key to integrating the River Wear with the city.
The current master plan for the Farringdon Row has evolved following extensive public consultation and includes 450 residential units and approximately 6,500m² of business space.
Plans for Phase One of the scheme, which include new homes, a 124-bed hotel and 6,500m² of office space, were approved in February 2008.
The arc undertook an intensive marketing, selection and short-listing process, which considered among other things the quality of design, cost and compatibility of the scheme suggested by the developer.
The arc attracted interest from a considerable number of well-known development companies with a proven track record in developing schemes of the scale and quality we were looking for.
CTP Ltd met the arc’s strict criteria and provided a scheme which was felt to embrace the arc’s principles and outlook for the future of Sunderland.
It is anticipated that work will commence on site in 2008. The marketing has been prepared for Phase Two (a residential led scheme) and is due to be brought to the market in the summer of 2008.
In order to facilitate a development of this scale a number of studies and surveys have been undertaken.
The arc has carried out considerable background work in order to establish developer confidence. This work has involved issues such as environmental surveys, ground condition and contamination investigations, traffic impact assessments and bat surveys.
The arc also secured an outline planning application for the first phase of the development and collaborated with the Council in drawing up the Local Development Framework for Farringdon Row, which provides planning guidance on appropriate forms of development.
The arc has also negotiated, with CTP Ltd, a comprehensive Development Agreement, which controls the form of development as will the detailed planning permission once obtained.
Our initial plans include creating:
Thornfield Properties Plc has been selected as the preferred developer and we are working with them and our partners such as English Partnerships, One NorthEast and Sunderland City Council to make our overall vision come to life.
Our inspiration has been projects like Birmingham 's Brindley Place and Bull Ring developments and we are confident we can create that calibre of scheme in Sunderland.
We expect Holmeside’s location, within the heart of the City and adjacent to the Transport Interchange, Winter Gardens and Mowbray Park, to be a major attraction to potential investors. This is important because private investors will have to fund the development so we need to show them exactly what Sunderland has to offer.
The site is located within the defined principal shopping, leisure and commercial area of the City Centre. The redevelopment of such a large site with modern units within the prime retail pitch of the city represents a unique opportunity for a developer.
The site has an enormous retail catchment of some 610,000 people but many currently shop elsewhere meaning Sunderland does not benefit from its own spending power.
Research has clearly shown us the planned development could help retain a large part of the City's £1.4billion-worth of spending power in the City.
Although there is a great opportunity for growth, there is currently a lack of retail floor space and modern unit within the City Centre. The Holmeside plan will address this to ensure new retailers can establish themselves in Sunderland.
A transformed Holmeside will broaden Sunderland 's range of shopping facilities and ensure the City not only retains its own shoppers but also attracts those from outside the City. It will provide an exhilarating new development that will move the City into the 21 st Century with innovative and exciting architecture set within the existing townscape.
This development will complement and enhance the City’s existing retail offer and the new leisure and residential units will ensure it builds upon the vibrant night-time economy.
Sunderland arc is currently working with Thornfield Properties Plc on a detailed planning application for Holmeside. Development is expected to begin in 2010 once detailed planning permission has been obtained and land assembly completed.
We have been in negotiation with the owners of various interests over the past two and a half years. At present approximately 75 per cent of the freehold site area has been secured by the arc.
Negotiations are continuing with other land owners and tenants and we are trying to secure agreements as soon as is practicable. The possible use of compulsory purchase powers to acquire remaining interests and complete assembly of the whole site cannot be ruled out. If a CPO is required that process is likely to take around 18 months.
The development of City Centre sites is a complex exercise which involves a number of technical and legal issues being addressed.
We do of course wish to bring about this new retail offer for the city as soon as possible. If we waited until the entire site assembly process was completed before seeking to appoint a development partner then it would take considerably longer to progress the scheme. By marketing the scheme to potential development partners in tandem with ongoing site assembly negotiations we should be able to get the scheme off the ground quicker.
This is quite a common approach to delivering complex regeneration projects.
It will be up to the appointed developer/consortia to evaluate whether The Point is able to fit in to their plans. The market is expected to be closed in its current form to make way for the new scheme which aims to lift the retail choice within the City Centre to include new businesses such as high quality, niche retailers.
The site is expected to be developed over three phases over a number of years, with the first phase being on the former Kwik-Save site – land currently controlled by the arc.