Vaux Brewery site

One of the North East’s most significant brownfield regeneration sites, the highly prominent 10.44 hectare (26 acre) Vaux site presents a rare and exciting opportunity for the development of a major city centre mixed-use scheme.

Sitting right at the heart of Sunderland, adjacent to the River Wear on top of dramatic natural cliffs, the former Vaux Brewery forms an important gateway into Sunderland city centre.

The development of the site will realise the masterplan vision by:

• Reinvigorating the economic heart of the city through the creation of a vibrant new office market
• Creation of approximately 3,000 job opportunities
• Promoting and celebrating city centre living
• Reconnecting the city and its river
• Providing a model of sustainable urban regeneration
• Exemplary architecture and quality of design
• Creation of a new and distinctive urban quarter       

The proposals form part of a wider masterplan strategy including the adjacent Galley’s Gill parkland and Farringdon Row, as well as the wider strategic context of Sunderland arc’s plans to reinvigorate the central area of Sunderland. This will secure an attractive, lively city that draws in new residents, knowledge businesses and investors, as well as tourists and visitor expenditure.

Outline planning permission for the masterplan was granted by the Secretary of State in March 2007. This was further endorsed by Sunderland City Council’s adoption of the city’s Unitary Development Plan in October 2007.

Vaux has also been earmarked by Her Majesty’s Court Service for a new £50m courts complex. The new state-of-the-art, landmark building will comprise a crown, magistrates' and county court, generating office demand from sectors with links to the courts and enhancing connectivity with the city centre.

The Vaux site has the potential to become a lively, mixed-use office and residential quarter with additional leisure facilities and new hotels. It will compliment the city centre, rather than compete against it, providing a new economic aspect by bringing diverse employment opportunities and new homes into the heart of the city.

Fully integrated with this thriving city, giving local people a real sense of ownership, this new development will be a powerful symbol of the drive and creativity of the entire north east of England

Proposal:

• 10.44 Ha. Brownfield land regenerated
• New offices (generating around 3,000 new jobs)
• New homes
• Two new hotels
• Civic buildings
• Ancillary retail
• A new central square
• A new Wear pedestrian bridge

Title/Land Ownership

The Vaux site is currently owned by Tesco Stores Ltd. The arc and its partners have been working together to assemble the site and are currently in formal negotiations with Tesco to acquire the land.

Sunderland arc has the support of its Founder Members (English Partnerships, One NorthEast and Sunderland City Council) to both fund and acquire the site, using One NorthEast’s compulsory purchase powers in the event that negotiations to acquire the site by agreement do not reach a satisfactory conclusion.

The lead development partner will be required to support the arc and its partners in progressing a CPO should this prove necessary.

For more information, please visit the Vaux website at http://www.vauxsite.co.uk/