Plans to build a £450 million film studio in Sunderland have been hailed as ‘transformational’ for the city and the region.

Plans for Crown Works Studio on the banks of the Wear were approved by Sunderland City Council in March. It is hoped that the development will create more than 8,400 jobs in the North East and put the region “on the map”.

The project has already been backed by the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP), which was established as a joint venture by combined and local authorities and the BBC to facilitate the development of the television and screen industry in the region.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the North East Combined Authority, Sunderland City Council’s Kelly Chequer said the development had the potential to be the “jewel in the crown” of the North East.

She said: “From our point of view, there will be so many wider opportunities created through the North East Screen Industries Partnership. We have got further and higher education building on that creative talent that we have got in the region and building more.(Image: Crown Works)

“The creative economy and content production is a key growth opportunity for us and Crown Works in Sunderland will be the jewel in the crown of the region, there’s no doubt about it.

“It’s such an exciting time for Sunderland and the whole of the North East. It’s going to totally transform how our region is seen.

“We will be on the screens of millions across the nation and hopefully across the world. I think it’s really important we get behind our ambition and show this is just the start of what we can achieve.”

The cabinet was asked to not the recommendation of an approval for £25 million of funding for the Crown Works sites, which will be awarded by the NECA chief executive.

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The money will enable site remediation and preparation work to get underway, and is subject to the final confirmation from Government of the funding agreed through the North East’s devolution deal.

Mayor Kim McGuinness added: “We have the director general of the BBC coming to see us this week to talk about how we can create more opportunities on screen and in those cultural and creative partnerships to showcase our region. Having these studios there creates even more opportunities for us.”