A key appointment has been made to help drive Sunderland's regeneration.

Leanne Littlewood has been appointed as Culture House Director and will lead plans for the £27m new visitor attraction overlooking Keel Square.

Leanne - who has joined Sunderland City Council from Middlesbrough Council where she held a role as Head of Culture - will lead Culture House towards its launch in early 2025.

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The venue - backed by Future High Streets Funding - will offer an immersive, dynamic, digitally-powered visitor experience that will inspire and entertain people of all ages.

Though detailed plans for Culture House are yet to be drawn up, the ambition is that the new venue will be a space for the whole community to enjoy.

Leanne said: “Culture is front and centre of Sunderland’s ambitious plans for the regeneration of the city centre, and the development of this magnificent building – which will be an asset to communities across the city – presents a once in a generation opportunity to create a space that will inspire residents and visitors.  

“As someone from the region, I have watched the transformation of Sunderland from the outside over the last few years, and there’s a sense that this is a place that is on a huge journey of change and that’s so exciting to now be part of.  I am thrilled to be able to take the vision forward and create a space that all of our communities and visitors alike will enjoy for years to come.” 

The former Corner Flag pub and connected buildings - 275, 278-284 High Street West - standing on the southern edge of Keel Square have been cleared by contractor MGL Demolition to make way for Culture House, and a contractor is expected to be appointed over the next few weeks.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Culture House will be the jewel in the crown of the Riverside Sunderland development, a fantastic place for residents and visitors to enjoy. Leanne’s experience and passion will help us drive this forward.

“We have had tremendous feedback from residents and community groups on our plans for Culture House, so it’s brilliant that we’re taking this major step forward to deliver this significant addition to the city centre.”

Culture House will use the latest technology to inspire curiosity, creativity and connection among the 500,000 people who visit each year.


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Positioned at the heart of Riverside Sunderland, Culture House will include immersive digital spaces, a Food Lab, to explore new and different foods; a library for the 21st Century and spaces for community groups to come together and creative areas to encourage making and learning through play and activity.  

The building has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects and is part of an ambitious programme of development projects in the Riverside Sunderland area that, taken together, aim to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent and also fits with the city’s housing strategy, which will see 7,000 new homes build by 2030.