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Planned System Maintenance - Limited Service

Sunderland City Council will be carrying out planned system maintenance from 12 noon on Friday 5th June until 7am on Tuesday 9th June. During this period, we will only be able to respond to urgent enquiries. If your enquiry is not urgent, please contact us before or after these times when full services will be available. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

City Plan

The City Plan is the Sunderland Partnership's overarching strategic plan for the period to 2035. It provides the blueprint for all partners and communities to work together to pursue and achieve the shared vision, ambitions and underpinning commitments for Sunderland.

The City Plan ambitions comprise:

  • Everyone's talent is nurtured - our children and young people are achieving the best outcomes, everyone is connected to opportunities, and whatever your aspiration, you can achieve it in Sunderland
  • Inward investment, job creation and high performing businesses and employers create opportunities for all residents of the city, with Sunderland making a significant contribution to the UK's economic growth
  • People live healthier, longer lives - health and wellbeing outcomes are significantly improved and life is better because we live in Sunderland, rather than any other place
  • Sunderland is a place recognised for its natural and built assets; the city has an accessible, strong and growing offer for residents and visitors - it's easy to find something that captures the imagination in Sunderland
  • Our people and communities thrive and feel proud, and are stronger together; everyone is playing their part
  • Sunderland will play its role in tackling the global challenge of climate change, working together across the city to be carbon neutral by 2040

View the City Plan

In working to deliver on these ambitions, the City Plan is focussed on a bold and ambitious vision to create a connected, international city with opportunities for all. To achieve this, the City Plan has three themes:

  • Sunderland will be a Dynamic Smart City with increased business, housing and cultural opportunities acting as a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity and creating a stronger city. Transformative digital technology will be accessible to all, supporting a low carbon city. More city residents will have the skills and qualifications sought by employers and supporting career progression. Children and young people will have equitable opportunities and the best life chances, with poverty and its impacts significantly reduced. There will be great transport links with low carbon and active travel opportunities for everyone, and increased employment in more jobs that are fulfilling and better compensated
  • It will be a Healthy Smart City with great social care and support enabling those who need it to live the life they choose. Inequalities will be reduced, supporting communities to build strong foundations for lifelong health and targeting help for those most in need, so more people are living healthier, longer and more active lives. It will be a clean, welcoming and attractive city where people feel safe. There will be more and better homes meeting everyone's needs and aspirations, including affordable housing and homes that support independence and wellbeing
  • It will be a Vibrant Smart City with more resilient residents and cohesive, inclusive communities in the face of ongoing challenges. More people will visit Sunderland, with more residents shaping and participating in cultural or sporting events. More people will be active and participating in their communities. There will be stronger collaboration and shared leadership between partner agencies and the voluntary and community sector, fostering trust and empowering communities. There will be a strong sense of pride amongst residents, and communities will feel engaged in shaping Sunderland's future and the opportunities being created

The city's people and communities are at the heart of the City Plan, which continues to be delivered at pace with significant investment and developments underway, and more to come.

An important element of the City Plan is the accompanying Indicative Timeline, as it provides a flavour of what we are doing to deliver the plan and achieve our vision to create a connected, international city with opportunities for all. The timeline shows key projects that are currently underway and those planned in subsequent years.

Progress in respect of delivering the City Plan is managed through the council's Corporate Performance Management arrangements including quarterly reports to Cabinet.

The council has also adopted a corporate plan as an expression of its strategic organisational priorities over the medium term in the context of the City Plan. The Corporate Plan 2025-2028 defines the key areas of focus for the council to play its full part in achieving the vision for Sunderland.

Find out more about the Corporate Plan

In line with the council's, and its partners' approach to carbon reduction and cost saving, the City Plan is published electronically only.