Sunderland a leading light in providing business property

12:55pm Tuesday 18th March 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

SUNDERLAND'S popularity with investors owes much to its ever-expanding portfolio of top-quality business parks.

Over the past 15 years, the city has invested heavily in its infrastructure, regenerating the landscape and the local economy in the process.

It now boasts an enviable array of business premises, offering something for all investors. Such facilities have helped Sunderland attract worldwide investment but increasingly these are important locations for fast-growing local businesses.

Last summer the Sunderland Software City initiative was launched to diversify the city's industrial base and establish a vibrant software industry.

The initiative involves business, academia and the public sector, all working together to deliver an exciting vision for Sunderland as a leading 21st-century city.

The new Rainton Bridge South Business Park is already an emerging centre for new, software-based businesses.

Developed by Sunderland City Council and partners Goodman, the park comprises state-of-the-art telecommunications and network facilities.

At the heart of the modern development is the flagship £8 million e- Volve building, designated as a hub for knowledge-based information and communication technology businesses.

Rainton Bridge is looking to build on the success of Doxford International.

Opened in 1992, Doxford has been a huge success and a catalyst for many subsequent developments in Sunderland.

Home to an impressive array of businesses, such as EDF Energy, Barclays and Arriva, it is a key destination for business in Sunderland thanks to its excellent facilities, which include the UK's first energyneutral building.

Other high-calibre developments located in the heart of the city are Argent Business and Conference Centre and Sunniside Gardens.

Another prestigious development on the horizon is Turbine Business Park, to be created at Nissan, offering 690,000 sq ft of business space and an additional 4,000 jobs when complete.

The new facilities continue to play a key role in the transformation of the city's economy and more developments are in the pipeline.

Sunderland arc, the city's urban regeneration company, is in the process of developing a range of sites, including the former Vaux brewery.

A master plan has been developed for the site, which lies in the heart of the city, with the intention of creating a mixed complex encompassing commercial, residential and leisure developments.

But regeneration is not limited to business investment. Across the city major new developments, such as the Olympic-sized swimming pool and a £120m programme to create 21st century schools, are changing the landscape for the better.