Sunderland’s blockbuster studio plans are moving towards their next stage, with a new planning application now submitted that should pave the way for spades in the ground in autumn.
A revised planning application has been submitted to Sunderland City Council’s Planning Authority setting out the final details of Studio One at Crown Works. The project will transform a brownfield site on the southern banks of the River Wear into a major high-end film & TV production facility.
Computer generated images – submitted as part of the planning application – show the first of the new buildings, designed by international architect practice FaulknerBrowns, that will stand to the east of the site. Extensive site preparation and remediation works have already been completed and subject to planning approval, construction is expected to begin in autumn 2026.
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Backed by Mayor Kim McGuinness with more than £38m, the development of Studio One at Crown Works will represent the first phase in the transformation of this 31-hectare site, which will become a key city employment hub anchored by TV and film production.
The Crown Works Growth Zone is part of the Creative Mayoral Development Zone which contains eight neighbourhoods running from the Northern Spire Bridge in the west to St Peters and the coast in the east. Once complete, the investment in land assembly, remediation and the execution of Studio One will see just over £60m of funding by the public sector and create a regional hub for film and high-end TV production in the North East setting the scene for further employment-focused investment across future phases of the Growth Zone.
The first phase, Studio One, will provide three sound stages, ancillary production accommodation, backlot space and a surface car park, alongside the refurbishment of the historic WH Foster Printworks building.
Crown Works Growth Zone – an area of land in Pallion, Sunderland, designated as an area where new jobs will be created – will bring new economic activity which will also attract inward investment, contribute to economic growth, support local supply chains and provide local opportunities for education, training and skills development.
In all, 178,000 sq ft of TV and film production space will be created in the first phase of Crown Works, creating important infrastructure to support what is a thriving industry in the North East. Production in the region is up more than 130% in the last three years, and – with Crown Works eventually set to become one of the largest studio complexes in the North of England, capable of hosting live events and gameshows, as well as blockbuster films and TV projects – these plans will turbo-charge creative industries in the region.
Councillor Chris Eynon, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “I want to see plans for Crown Works move ahead at pace, so this is an exciting step forward that will take this from vision to reality.
“Sunderland has a long and proud history as a city of makers. People here are not only creative, they’re also industrious and that combination means that there could be no better place to accelerate the region’s ambitions when it comes to unlocking the potential of our creative industries.”
The studio plans support the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s Culture, Creative Industries and Sport Strategy, which focuses on music, film and screen, and writing and publishing as priority subsectors within the creative industries, primed for growth over the next ten years.
North East Mayor McGuinness added: “We’re on the verge of blockbuster films and smash hit TV being filmed here on the banks of the River Wear. I can’t wait for our brilliant creatives, both in front of the camera and behind, to be first in line for the opportunities that Crown Works Studios will bring.
“Our £38m investment is all about making sure there’s jobs for local people on their doorstep, without having to move hundreds of miles away to London. This planning permission is the last hurdle to bringing world-class film and TV shows to the North East and I’m excited to see construction start.”
North East Screen reports £88.5million GVA currently generated by the TV and film industry in the region. The regional screen agency recently published its latest impact report, which highlighted an increase in production spend in the North East by 83%. It also revealed that more regional companies are winning commissions and 1,419 jobs have been created on productions since 2022.
Phase one of the Crown Works development aims to kick off the process of building out the site incrementally, with the initial investment expected to act as a catalyst to fuel further public and private sector backing to expand the complex.
Alison Gwynn, chief executive of North East Screen, said: “The timing of these developments could not be better. Our recently published four year impact report shows the growth rate in the region’s screen industries is phenomenal and very much set to continue.
“The North East Production Fund is crucial in attracting more production to the region. But once here, the welcome they receive from our film office and filming friendly authorities, the breadth and quality of our locations and our first-class crew and talent ensure they want to stay longer.
“Adding essential studio infrastructure means we can attract a much wider range of productions, and open up more opportunities for local crew and suppliers.”
