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TV star George Clarke is behind exciting plans in his home town of Sunderland .
AMAZING SPACES
TV star George behind plans for worldclass training centre
Detailed plans for a world-class training facility that will provide ‘ next generation skills for next generation homes ’ have been submitted .
The Ministry of Building Innovation and Education ( MOBIE ) – founded by Amazing Spaces star and Sunderland-born architect George Clarke – has teamed up with Sunderland City Council and Sunderland College to develop plans for a Housing Innovation and Construction Skills Academy ( HICSA ).
It ’ s said the “ ground-breaking ” facility will educate , train and upskill local people to create innovative factory-built new homes , the first of which will be assembled at Riverside Sunderland .
And now a planning application for the £ 15m building has been submitted to the local authority , which – if given the green light – will pave the way for work to start later this year .
The facility earmarked for Sheepfolds will be operated by Sunderland College with support from industry partners .
It will form a key part of Sunderland ’ s ambitious city centre housing ecosystem , enabling Sunderland people to meet the city ’ s future housing needs , with the skill and expertise to employ modern methods of construction ( MMC ).
When completed , HICSA will support the development of scores of eco-friendly homes
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planned for Riverside Sunderland and the city centre .
The planning application follows the government ’ s Levelling Up Fund ( LUF ) announcement as part of the last Autumn Budget , which committed £ 20m to support the city ’ s housing ecosystem , including £ 9m of support for HICSA .
Clarke ’ s MOBIE was set up to inspire young people and to revolutionise the way we think about our homes and produce the talent capable of creating future-housing .
The TV star believes that by developing HICSA , MOBIE can play a key part in creating innovative , low carbon homes across the region , working with young people to drive social mobility by giving them the skills they will need to transform the way we build homes in the North-East , which will in turn create new and exciting jobs .
He said : “ HICSA is game-changing , so we very much hope this planning application is green-lit , so we can advance with the pace and energy Sunderland is renowned for .
“ This is a truly innovative project and we ’ re really proud to be playing a part in it – particularly because of the boost it will deliver to my home city .
“ There is a huge opportunity for Sunderland to play a leading role in defining how homes of the future look and through HICSA , to develop an eco-system that will
allow people from the city to build them too .
“ We ’ re hopeful of making this our national HQ for MOBIE as it really does epitomise what we ’ re trying to achieve ."
The facility – the brainchild of the three organisations working in partnership – will enable Sunderland to build the skills-base to upgrade the city ’ s homes locally , using MMC , low carbon , renewable energy and smart technology .
It will position Sunderland at the heart of the UK ’ s net zero ambitions , enabling the city to capitalise on the move towards modern methods of construction and sustainable house-building while helping Sunderland realise its Smart City and Net- Zero Carbon ambitions .
HICSA is one of a number of exciting projects that are incorporated in the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan , which sets out a development framework for this new urban quarter , comprising the former Vaux Brewery site , High Street West , Keel Square , Galley ’ s Gill , Farringdon Row and Sheepfolds .
The Sunderland Future Living Expo is also part of the plan , helping to engage and inspire industry and local people in the delivery of innovative homes on the site , and positioning Sunderland as a world-class place to live , work and play .