The long-awaited Vaux housing scheme at Riverside Sunderland is beginning to take shape as the city's skyline continues to change.
Work has begun on the first of 1,000 new homes of an ambitious residential development, with steel and timber frames being erected. The frames are supporting the first apartment buildings and homes and are the latest developments adding to a fast-changing landscape in Wearside.
The Vaux housing scheme – which will eventually stand across the Riverside Sunderland site – will see 132 ultra-modern, eco-friendly homes being built. The frames of the homes, which are being built by North East construction specialist Tolent, can now be seen behind hoardings at the prominent site, that has views over the river.
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Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “It is fantastic to see yet another of our ambitious Riverside Sunderland developments begin to take shape. Vaux housing will see over 100 homes of the highest quality rise from the ground, providing a huge lift to the city centre economy by increasing its population and increasing the number of people that will go on to shop and dine in the city and support local businesses.”
Vaux is the first of four new residential communities being delivered by the council at Riverside Sunderland, that will eventually provide city centre housing for up to 2,500 people. Included in the scheme will be a cluster of award-winning homes, that were selected as the best in the national Homes of 2030 Design Competition - which explored how homes will look and function in the future.
The development will comprise apartments, townhouses, and maisonettes, using modern methods of construction, renewable energy systems and smart technology to reduce the carbon footprint of the development, while producing high quality, energy efficient properties in the beating heart of the city.
Paul Webster, chief executive officer of Tolent, said: “Our highly experienced team on site are making great progress as the various foundations and structural works take shape. We're successfully managing a busy, city centre site in an area of the city that is bustling with various construction works - which is fantastic to see. It's exciting to be a part of such significant investment and change in a city we're local to, surrounded by some of the biggest national contractors in the UK."
All homes at Riverside Sunderland are hoped to provide properties that will attract new and existing Sunderland residents to live in the city centre, with the properties sitting alongside the orchards and allotments of Kingsley Gardens and nearby Riverside Park. The Vaux neighbourhood will be the site of the Expo Sunderland in 2024, an event that will showcase the homes of the future.
The first tranche of homes will be completed towards the end of 2023 - 111 of the homes will be built to 2025 Future Homes Standard and 21 to PASSIVHAUS standard, delivering high levels of energy efficiency. Hyperfast fibre will connect each home ensuring they’re fit for modern living and homes will also come with bike storage and a ‘city growing space’ to encourage people to grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables.
Vaux housing is part of an ambitious masterplan for Riverside Sunderland that will include residential, commercial and leisure developments. It is part of a programme of development projects in the area that aim to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50% and also fits with the city’s housing strategy, which will see 7,000 new homes built by 2030.
Vaux housing is being delivered with £6.1m of grant support from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, £2.1m from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities to support the delivery of the Homes of 2030, and £2m from the European Regional Development Fund to support the delivery of a smart energy network.
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