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Planning application

Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

Granted Sunderland 23/02397/HY4 Hybrid Application Regulation 4

Works: Demolition

Permission granted. Work must normally begin within three years of the decision or the permission lapses.

Proposal

Hybrid planning application for the creation of a film and tv studios to include the following: Detailed planning approval for the erection of soundstages with attached office buildings, production workshops, a gateway building containing security checkpoint, hospitality and administrative facilities, a multi-storey car park, a substation, a waste recycling centre, ancillary structures including for the storage of bins and cycles, with associated earthworks, site accesses, drainage, landscaping and infrastructure provision. Outline planning approval (matters reserved: scale, layout, appearance and landscaping) for film and tv studio uses including sound stages, production offices and production workshops with ancillary hospitality and administrative facilities, ancillary buildings / structures including for sub-stations, waste and cycle storage; the conversion of the red brick building into a technical education academy associated with the tv and film industry; a vendors village to provide offices and warehousing for supporting businesses; multi storey car park; the demolition of all other buildings on site; with site accesses, earthworks, drainage, landscaping and infrastructure provision. Temporary planning approval for 'meanwhile uses' associated with backlots (external filming areas) including temporary structures and infrastructure. ADDITIONAL HIGHWAYS INFORMATION RECEIVED 06.03.24

As published by the council, reference 23/02397/HY4

Application record

Reference
23/02397/HY4
Type
Hybrid Application Regulation 4
Status
Decided
Decision
Granted As published: Approved
Received
17 Nov 2023
Validated
27 Nov 2023
Decided
28 Jun 2024
Ward
Pallion
Decision by
Committee Decision

Site history

Applications at this address on the Sunderland register

This site has had 12 applications since 2023: 7 approved, 0 refused.

  • 26/02085/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 37 (Stopping up details) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 4 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/01990/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 6 (CEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 1 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02083/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 13 (Verification report) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 2 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02084/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 32 (CTMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 3 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02086/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 48 (TEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 5 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/01552/VA3 Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Variation of conditions of planning permission ref. 23/02397/HY4 (Hybrid planning application for the creation of a film and TV studios) - variation of condition 4 to allow for changes to approved levels, layout, design, scale and appearance of buildings, access and car parking arrangements, 'backlot' filming areas, boundary of detailed/outline area and phasing of development in Site A and variation to wording of conditions 18, 26, 27, 30, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 44 and 50 to reflect proposed phased approach to development.

    Decided 2 Oct 2026
  • 25/00321/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge of condition 6 (CEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 1 of 2)

    Decided 4 Mar 2025 Conditions
  • 25/00326/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge of condition 32 (CTMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 2 of 2)

    Decided 4 Mar 2025 Conditions
  • 24/02547/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial Discharge of condition 28 (Water Framework Directive Assessment) of planning application 23/02397/HY4 - remediation/enabling works for Site A only.

    Decided 22 Jan 2025 Conditions
  • 24/02097/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge (Site A only) of Condition 12 (Remediation strategy) of planning approval 23/02397/HY4. Part 2 of 2

    Decided 18 Nov 2024 Conditions

Timeline

Dates from the published record

  1. 17 Nov 2023

    Received by Sunderland

  2. 27 Nov 2023

    Validated

    Checked as complete and ready for consideration.

  3. 28 Jun 2024

    Decision issued: Approved

  4. 6 Aug 2026

    Added to PlanIndex

Cases linked to this one on the register

13 later applications on the register refer to this one:

  • 26/02085/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 37 (Stopping up details) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 4 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/01990/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 6 (CEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 1 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02083/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 13 (Verification report) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 2 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02084/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 32 (CTMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 3 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/02086/EDIS Awaiting decision

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Discharge of condition 48 (TEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 5 of 5)

    Submitted 14 Sep 2026
  • 26/01552/VA3 Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Variation of conditions of planning permission ref. 23/02397/HY4 (Hybrid planning application for the creation of a film and TV studios) - variation of condition 4 to allow for changes to approved levels, layout, design, scale and appearance of buildings, access and car parking arrangements, 'backlot' filming areas, boundary of detailed/outline area and phasing of development in Site A and variation to wording of conditions 18, 26, 27, 30, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 44 and 50 to reflect proposed phased approach to development.

    Decided 2 Oct 2026
  • 25/00321/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge of condition 6 (CEMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 1 of 2)

    Decided 4 Mar 2025 Conditions
  • 25/00326/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge of condition 32 (CTMP) attached to planning application 23/02397/HY4 (Part 2 of 2)

    Decided 4 Mar 2025 Conditions
  • 24/02547/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial Discharge of condition 28 (Water Framework Directive Assessment) of planning application 23/02397/HY4 - remediation/enabling works for Site A only.

    Decided 22 Jan 2025 Conditions
  • 24/02097/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge (Site A only) of Condition 12 (Remediation strategy) of planning approval 23/02397/HY4. Part 2 of 2

    Decided 18 Nov 2024 Conditions
  • 24/02086/DIS Granted

    Land East And West Of The Southern Side Of The Northern Spire Bridge And South Of Paul Watson Way, Sunderland

    Partial discharge (Site A only) of Condition 11 ( Site investigations) of planning approval 23/02397/HY4. Part 1 of 2

    Decided 18 Nov 2024 Conditions
  • 24/01627/DIS Granted

    Land At Former Groves Cranes Site Woodbine Terrace Sunderland

    Partial discharge (Site A only) of condition 11 (site investigations) attached to 23/02397/HY4 (part 1 of 2)

    Decided 30 Sep 2024 Conditions
  • 24/01630/DIS Granted

    Land At Former Groves Cranes Site Woodbine Terrace Sunderland

    Partial discharge (Site A only) of condition 12 (remediation strategy) attached to 23/02397/HY4 (part 2 of 2).

    Decided 30 Sep 2024 Conditions

Documents

Plans, drawings, consultee responses and the officer's report

288 documents on file for this application

A planning file usually holds the application form, drawings and site plans, consultee responses, the officer's report and the decision notice.

Watch members (£5 a month) open the document list from here.

Open the documents

What this grant of permission means

Sunderland granted permission on 28 June 2024, subject to any conditions on the decision notice. Work must normally begin within three years or the permission lapses. More in our guide to what happens after a planning decision.

About less common application types

This application sits outside the common categories, and the council record linked on this page sets out the specific procedure that applies. More in our guide to planning application types.

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