All at Sunderland AFC congratulate Non-Executive Director Leo Pearlman and Fulwell Cain following today’s Budget announcement.
In a game-changing moment for the City of Sunderland, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this afternoon confirmed that the North East has secured a trailblazer devolution deal that will pave the way for Crown Works Studios in Sunderland to progress.
At capacity and on completion, it is planned that the development – a joint venture between Fulwell 73 and Cain International - will create over 8,450 jobs in the North East, expanding the region's creative industries and supporting UK Plc.
It will also inject an estimated £336m a year into the regional economy and has been described as the most economically significant development for the North East since the arrival of Nissan in the 1980s
The TV and film studio complex, which will be one of the largest in Europe, will be built on former shipyard sites by 2027 and ground is expected to be broken this summer.
Following the announcement, Leo Pearlman hailed the people of North East for their phenomenal support.
“We did it,” said the Club’s Non-Executive Director. “And by we, I mean every single person who supported us on this journey and I mean every single person in the North East.
“I mean every single one of you who refused to accept the status quo and who fought for change for our region, for opportunities for the next generation and for the future of the creative industries across the UK.”
He added: “The support for this project from the incredible people and businesses of the North East has been utterly phenomenal – thank you to everyone who has got behind our ambition.
“We are expecting to break ground this summer, now the real hard work begins.”