Hopes Crown Works Studios construction will begin 'by spring'
The construction of a £450m film studio is expected to start by the spring despite the fact a new investor has yet to be confirmed. It is hoped Crown Works Studios in Sunderland will make north-east England a hub for the film and television industry, but its development hit a major hurdle when one of its investors pulled out in June.Sunderland City Council hired real estate firm CBRE to find new private backers but bids have yet to be reviewed, a spokesperson said.The authority said the ambition remained to build the studio in a "phased" manner to capitalise on "pent-up demand" for studio space in the region.Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey said the North East Combined Authority's decision to designate a "creative development zone" in the city in December will "unlock" the first phase of the film studios' construction. This move was backed by £300,000 in funding from NECA and the equivalent amount from the local authority. Mordey said remediation works on the site were nearly complete and that construction was expected to begin "by spring". The development will have an 80-acre (32-hectare) site on the banks of the River Wear turned into a 1.5 million sq ft (139,355 sq m) film complex.The government has provided £25m towards the project, while the council and the North East mayoral authority has committed to investing £120m in the scheme.
