Sunderland Housing Group is to launch the city鈥檚 largest housebuilding programme in decades.
Bucking the trend of low demand in the North-east, the group is negotiating with lenders on a 拢200m package that will build 4000 homes for rent to replace worn-out existing stock.

The group says its aim is to 鈥渃hange the skyline of Sunderland鈥� and hints that further new build could follow the first wave. It has already pledged to spend 拢480m improving existing homes.

The new homes came out of a review that found many of the 36,500 homes that the group took over from Sunderland council did not meet modern standards. It said the economics of refurbishment can favour new build.

The group hopes to be on site with the first new homes by the end of the year and to have residents in them by next September. It wants to enter into partnerships with private sector developers to complete the plans within five years.

The building programme will run alongside a choice-based lettings system set to go live in November.

Consultation with residents is under way. The group says it wants to build sustainable communities and homes that last. It stressed it is not in the business of simply building housing estates.

Group chief executive Peter Walls said: 鈥淲e are committed to raising the standard of housing in Sunderland and achieving our vision of changing the skyline.

We will ensure everyone can be offered high quality accommodation to a standard we can be proud of.鈥�

Source

Housing Today