City Deal marks new era of prosperity for Sunderland
Nick Clegg and Greg Clark announce multi-million pound City Deal for Sunderland.
Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Sunderland, South Tyneside and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership have agreed with the government a multi-million pound City Deal to strengthen the foundations of economic growth for future generations, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Minister for Cities Greg Clark announced today.
As part of the deal, the coalition government is investing £5 million for the development of an International Advanced Manufacturing Park and more than £80 million of funding is finally in place to build a long-awaited bridge over the River Wear.
The investment in the manufacturing park will be used to support the planning, design and assembly of the exciting new site, which will help to expand the auto-related manufacturing industry around Nissan in Sunderland. This will build on the booming car industry local workers have created in Sunderland, an industry which is exporting models across Europe. It is the vital first step in creating a development of national significance that will help to create thousands of jobs and bring in an estimated £295 million in private sector investment in the advanced manufacturing industry. The new park will build on the success of Sunderland’s car industry, boosting the local supply chain and revitalising local businesses and craftsmen. This will harness local skills and strengthen the local supply chain to ensure Sunderland’s place as one of the UK’s most important manufacturing centres for the car industry.
Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images
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The government is also investing more than £80 million to build a long-awaited bridge over the River Wear. This will link the industrial areas to the west of the city with the city centre and port, provide improved access to development sites across the river and support the regeneration of deprived neighbourhoods in Sunderland. The New Wear Crossing will reduce congestion and better connect people to local employment opportunities. This will help boost local businesses and attract further investment to support economic growth in the region.
The Deputy Prime Minister is today (14 March 2014) visiting the Nissan plant in Sunderland, at the heart of the automotive industry, to see how the City Deal will boost the region’s economic growth.
Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:
This City Deal builds on the success of Sunderland’s car industry and is a tribute to the workers in the region who are exporting models right across Europe.
It will build on that success with an advanced manufacturing park to boost the local supply chain, attract further investment and revitalise local businesses and craftsmen, harnessing local skills for many years to come.
The deal builds the foundations for long term growth in Sunderland for this generation and the next, building a stronger economy and doing it fairly.
Photo credit: North News & Pictures Ltd
Greg Clark, Minister for Cities, said:
Sunderland is known the world over for its car-making prowess. This City Deal will create state-of-the-art space for further advanced manufacturing businesses to set up shop in the city, employing more talented local people and consolidating that reputation even further.
Building on the strength of the proposed north east combined authority, this is an excellent foundation for growth in the region. It sows the seeds for exciting opportunities for the private sector, which has already created 1.6 million new jobs in Britain since this government came to power.
The advanced manufacturing park is expected to be completed by 2027, creating 5,200 new manufacturing jobs, with more than 500 new jobs being created every year from 2018. A further 3,700 jobs will be created by 2031 as local leaders continue to grow and diversify Sunderland’s economy through the development of a new Central Business District. Sunderland have committed to building the New Wear Crossing by November 2017.
Sunderland is the 15th of the 20 Wave 2 areas to conclude their City Deal.