The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (NEMSA) to review a proposed subsidy for Sunderland City Council. The subsidy, totalling up to £38.5 million, is intended to support the Crown Works Studios project in Sunderland.
The proposed funding includes a capital grant of up to £25 million, a revenue grant of up to £2.5 million, and an interest-free loan or repayable grant of up to £11 million. This loan is planned to be repaid through business rates generated within the Crown Works Growth Zone.
The project aims to deliver a film and television production facility on a brownfield site in the Pallion and Ford ward. It involves constructing a new studio building with approximately 45,000 square feet of flexible space and refurbishing the existing Doxford Printworks building to provide around 80,000 square feet of workshop and office accommodation.
The revenue grant would support operating costs for the first five years of the facility's operation. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, with the facility anticipated to be operational in 2028.