North East Mayor to pump cash into arena and film studio jobs
North East Mayor to pump cash into arena and film studio jobs
A £104m public funding package to kick-start a new arena, film studios and cultural infrastructure across the North East is set to unlock major construction work starting this summer.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the investment programme would help to unlock a new film studio complex plan for Sunderland and enabling works for a long-planned arena at Gateshead Quays.
The largest single project is the £39m Crown Works Studios development in Sunderland, where construction preparation for phase one is expected to begin in July.
Summer start for Crown Works phase 1 works, hoped to act as a catalyst to fuel public and private sector backing for full studio complex
The scheme will deliver 125,000 sq ft of studio space, combining a new Studio One building with the conversion of the former Doxford Printworks site beside the River Wear. When completed in 2027 it will rank among the largest film studio facilities in northern England.
Funding for the scheme includes £11m recyclable investment funding, £500,000 a year in operational support for five years, and £25m of previously allocated Trailblazer Devolution Deal funding.
Alongside the Sunderland project, the Mayor has earmarked £24m to unlock development of a new arena at Gateshead Quays.
Planned Gateshead Quays scheme
The funding will cover infrastructure works to prepare the riverside site for a 12,500–15,000 seat arena, as well as the creation of a public performance square next to The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and a new green linear park linking the Tyne riverside with the Baltic Quarter.
Stalled Gateshead Arena site to get funding for enabling works
The investment is expected to restart development at the Gateshead Quays site, where arena plans stalled due to the pandemic and spiralling costs.
In January 2023, it was revealed the estimated cost of the development had jumped from £260m to more than £350m.
The arena project is also the first major scheme linked to the Newcastle–Gateshead Mayoral Development Zone, which was established last year to accelerate regeneration along the Tyne corridor.
Beyond the major construction projects, the wider £104m package also includes a £42m North East Culture, Creative Industries and Sport framework aimed at supporting grassroots venues, festivals and creative sector growth.
Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “If you have a creative dream, you don’t need London to succeed. We’ll prove that.”
The proposals will go before the North East Combined Authority cabinet next week for approval.
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