PLANS have been unveiled for a city's biggest new house building programme for decades.

At a major conference staged by Sunderland Housing Group, the organisation revealed plans to secure funding for 4,000 new homes in Sunderland over the next five years.

If it is successful, it will invest more than £200m in the new properties, which will be built across the city.

The investment would be additional to the £480m which Sunderland Housing Group has already announced it will invest in existing properties throughout the city.

Peter Walls, the group's chief executive, said: "Since the stock transfer of homes from Sunderland City Council to Sunderland Housing Group, we have been undertaking a major review of all our properties.

"We are committed to raising the standard of housing in Sunderland and achieving our vision of changing the skyline in the city.

"We are going to build around 4,000 new homes to replace substandard stock and ensure that everyone can be offered high quality accommodation of a standard of which we can all be proud."

New homes would be built in areas including Ryhope, Silksworth, Houghton-le-Spring, Washington, South Hylton, Pennywell and Southwick.

Sunderland Housing Group expects to start work by the end of the year, with the first occupiers likely to move in within 12 months.

Mr Walls said: "The construction of new homes will allow us to enter into partnership with the private sector, which will reconfigure and change the shape of development across the city.

"We expect private developers to work alongside Sunderland Housing Group in a number of key areas.

"Sunderland Housing Group is determined to deliver high standards of accommodation for tenants in the city.

"We want to change the skyline in Sunderland, and we are working to secure the means to do just that."