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North East LEP funding supports transformation of Gilbridge Police Station

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) has invested almost £850,000 from government’s Getting Building Fund to support the transformation of the former Gilbridge Police Station into brand new, multi-use office accommodation in the heart of Sunderland city centre.

Renamed The Yard, the new building will provide high quality workspace for SMEs looking to grow their businesses in Sunderland, and attract companies back into the city centre, helping creating a thriving community of local businesses.

The Yard is one of 20 projects across the North East LEP area to receive investment from the Getting Building Fund. In total, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership is managing £47m awarded through government’s Getting Building Fund to support capital investment across the region. 

Helen Golightly OBE, chief executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Despite a very challenging environment for businesses in the North East, we’re still seeing demand for high quality office accommodation in the region.

“Encouragingly, many businesses are looking to move back into our city centres, which is helping reinvigorate and reenergise these traditional business hubs after the pandemic.

“The Yard, along with the wider Riverside Sunderland development, is transforming Sunderland city centre and bringing investment into the wider region.”

Developer Hanro Group is leading the transformation of Gilbridge Police Station. When complete, the building will provide office accommodation – ranging from 500 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft – a business lounge, meeting rooms, cycle storage, EV charging, showers, natural ventilation, external ‘green’ space, and an area for outdoor events.

Laura Lloyd, Head of Portfolio at The Hanro Group, said: ”We are delighted that the North East LEP are supporting the creation of flexible, affordable office accommodation in Sunderland city centre through Hanro’s development of The Yard.”

The Yard is part of the Riverside Sunderland development led by Sunderland City Council. The city centre office building will complement additional commercial spaces that are being developed in the area, including Legal and General-backed Maker and Faber.

Riverside Sunderland will create a new central business district (CBD) in the city. When fully developed, the CBD will provide more than one million square feet of high quality office space, tailored to the needs of leading UK and international businesses. It will provide accommodation for 8,000 – 10,000 jobs, generating footfall and expenditure across the city centre.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re thrilled to see work progressing at pace on The Yard, which will be a fantastic addition to the city.

“We have seen the success of similar developments in the city over recent years, with more and more businesses attracted to our transforming city centre, and we look forward to seeing The Yard open its doors and welcome more businesses and business-people to Sunderland.”

The Getting Building Fund was established early in the coronavirus pandemic to kick-start the economy, create jobs and help areas realise growth opportunities coming out of the coronavirus pandemic.

For more information about The Yard (formally Gilbridge Police Station), contact Bradley Hall on 0191 563 4242 or Sunderland BID on 0191 722 1002.

For more information about the Riverside Sunderland development, visit www.riversidesunderland.com.

For more information about the Getting Building Fund visit www.northeastlep.co.uk.

Home / Sunderland

FabLab brings huge opportunities for North East

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) is encouraging local businesses to get behind the latest groundbreaking new venture to arrive in the region – FabLab Sunderland.

Part of a global network that started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in America, FabLab Sunderland is a place for businesses, entrepreneurs, schools and members of the public to make and create almost anything using the technology, skills and materials available onsite.

Part business incubator, part education space, FabLab Sunderland promotes engineering, design, electronics and software development from its site at the University of Sunderland. Its focus on innovation and improving skills fits with the North East LEP’s strategic economic plan for the region that emphasises the importance of smart specialisation areas and developing a workforce quipped with the right skills for these jobs.

Part-funded through the North East Growth Deal, which is managed and delivered by the North East LEP, FabLab Sunderland aims to support and develop existing and new businesses in the LEP area, as well as inspire the next generation of engineers, developers and programmers.

Tony Canning, FabLab Manager at the University of Sunderland said: “FabLabs offer real opportunity to a wide range of people; from schools, the public and businesses, to access equipment they may not otherwise have available.

“As the first in the North East region we are keen to engage with the STEAM agenda – particularly for schools for whom we can coordinate workshops to reinforce and enhance learning. We are also keen to support businesses as a part of University of Sunderland’s Enterprise and Innovation directorate.”

Helen Golightly, Chief Operating Office at the North East LEP said: “FabLab Sunderland can play a vital role in supporting the skills agenda in the region.

“Not only is it a fantastic resource for the business community, it is already looking at ways to engage with schools through curriculum-based learning and by promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subjects, its providing the skills we need to create more and better jobs for the North East.”

Hans Möller, Innovation Director at the North East LEP said: “A key part of our strategic economic plan for the North East is built around innovation; something FabLab Sunderland excels at. We have identified smart specialisation areas and I believe all of these industries – automotive, creative and digital, life sciences and subsea – could benefit from engaging with FabLab Sunderland and supporting its work with industry and the education sector.”

FabLab Sunderland is one of 350 FabLabs across the world. They play a vital role in supporting innovation and invention; helping many new products come to market. One of the most successful is Dutch-based 3D printing firm, Ultimaker (www.ultimaker.com). Developed and built inside a FabLab, Ultimaker now sells its 3D printing products and software across the world.

The FabLab concept combines a workspace, community maker-space and learning zone – encouraging people from all walks of life to collaborate, exchange ideas and make things using the specialist equipment on site.

FabLab Sunderland aims to offer easy-access support to SMEs, connecting regional businesses with a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers, makers and innovators; creating new innovative jobs for people across the region.

FabLab Sunderland was included in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s additional proposed projects, when it announced the expanded Growth Deal with Government in January 2015. The Growth Deal will see an extra £40.6m invested in the North East economy between 2016 and 2021. This is in addition to the £289.3m of funding committed by the Government last year.

For more information about FabLab Sunderland, visit www.fablabsunderland.org