News
Sunderland metropolis on horizon
BUSINESS BRIEFS
By Graeme Anderson
AWARD FOR DECORATOR
Legal & General CEO Nigel Wilson (pictured)
talks exclusively to Wear Business about a
transformative £100m investment in Sunderland
O
n the day of the press
announcement at The Beam – the
award-winning structure, soon set
to be joined by three more iconic Sunderland
buildings on the former Vaux Brewery site –
our plates literally overflowed.
Not only was there no shortage of
croissants and canapes for the great and the
good on a day of celebration for Wearside’s
business and political communities but there
was also an abundance of facts and figures
on the new developments.
In short, the minds of the reporting
journalists were filled every bit as much as
their stomachs.
The facts can be succinctly summarised:
• £100m investment on the ex-Vaux site
led by Legal and General
• Construction of three new commercial
buildings comprising up to 300,000sq ft of
Grade A office space; including the building
of Sunderland’s new County Hall
• Up to 3,000 jobs created
• The Vaux area to become part of the new
Riverside Sunderland district, incorporating
offices, housing and green spaces which will
become a magnet for investment and for the
community.
Political and business leaders instantly
hailed the announcement in glowing
language but outside The Beam you feared
the general Sunderland public might be less
blown away.
Large-scale projects can be hard to
visualise and Sunderland folk have seen
plenty of computer-generated images over
the years which never left the drawing board.
So it was worth listening to the insight
of Legal and General CEO Nigel Wilson
who has personally overseen similar
developments.
This isn’t his first rodeo. He knows what is
coming and his enthusiasm and excitement
is palpable.
“This development is something we have
done in other towns and cities with great
success across the UK,” he explained to Wear
Business. “We’ve spent over £20 billion on
this type of activity and we’re experts at it.
“So the reason why I’m excited is that I
know what’s coming here, I know what this
land is going to look like shortly and I know
how great it is going to be with everyone
involved invested in it.
“Once you start building these high-
quality buildings, it is amazing what
economic activity suddenly starts appearing,
especially when you have creative hubs
like the university and the college on your
doorstep.
“Go to Cardiff and look what’s happened.
Go to Leeds where Channel 4 now is, go to
Manchester and Media City, go to Newcastle
– these are all developments we’ve been
involved in which are transformative for
those communities.”
Nigel’s own childhood community was
a County Durham one – he was born in
Newton Aycliffe.
So in terms of this particular project, it’s
personal for him, as well as business.
“I’m from the North-East, I grew up here
and I know the special quality of its places
and its people and how much value there is
in both,” he said.
“We don’t want people from Wearside
being Dick Whittingtons – people who
traditionally have to go to London to seek
their fortune.
“We want them to stay here, invest in the
community, themselves and their families
because it’s a place with a great quality of life
and this new development is going to be part
of the biggest investment in the city since
Nissan arrived.
“There are going to be exciting times
ahead.”
A decorator has won an award for his
hard work in the trade and he hopes it will
boost his businesses even further.
Gary Marsh, 48, from South Hylton,
received the ‘Painter & Decorator of the
Year’ award at the 2019 On The Tools
ceremony, held at Edgbaston Cricket
Ground, Birmingham.
The Sunderland-based Dulux Select
Decorator and owner of Gary Marsh
Quality Decorators was the winner of
one of 26 awards recognising individual
tradespeople from across the UK.
PROPERTY FIRM RELOCATES
A national property management company
has moved to Washington as the best place
for it to be able to serve all of its North-
East clients.
Residential Management Group (RMG),
formerly based in Newton Aycliffe, has
now relocated to The Hub in Washington.
The firm acts as managing agents for
clients including resident-controlled
management companies and freeholders,
looking after the communal areas of
residential apartment blocks and estates.
NEW COFFEE SHOP
After great success in Roker, independent
coffee shop Fausto has opened a sister
site – teaming up with the Beacon of
Light to launch Fausto Coppa within the
community facility’s entrance hall.
The new coffee shop, which sells coffee
made from Ouseburn Coffee Company
beans, toasties and sandwiches, as well as
cakes including pink slices, has created
seven new jobs and was officially opened
by Sunderland AFC legend Kevin Ball.
GROWTH FOR IT FIRM
Following a string of achievements and
rising demand for its services, a Durham-
based IT service provider is preparing for
further growth.
After experiencing 25 per cent turnover
increase during the last 12 months,
Concept IT, which is based in Tanfield Lea
Business Centre, is preparing to welcome
new staff to the team following an office
expansion.
The firm is looking to appoint five new
members to meet an increasing need for its
expert services.
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