Scheme to transform Minster Quarter comes to a close

Sunderland City Council was awarded £1.9m in funding thanks to National Lottery players via The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme in 2018. This combined with contributions from the owners and tenants has seen over £3m invested in the city centre buildings and activities throughout the scheme.

The Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme has focused on repairing historic buildings, improving public spaces, and hosting events and activities to promote the history of the area. It has aided restoration works at The Peacock, The Dun Cow, the rear wall of the Gibson Almshouses and the roof of the Sunderland Empire Theatre and Box Office, as well as repairs to buildings on Low Row, Church Lane and High Street West.

Minster Park was completely revitalised as part of the scheme in 2020, with new landscaping that features a central sensory garden and historic features of the area reinstated.

Now the scheme has come to a close with a celebration event at the Sunderland Empire Theatre.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Business, said: "As the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme comes to a close it is the perfect time to reflect on the brilliant work which has been carried out as part of the project since 2018.

"We have seen Minster Park completely transformed into a beautiful green space for the city centre, and iconic Sunderland buildings like the Empire Theatre, Dun Cow and The Peacock repaired and preserved. This has made a big difference to the Minster Quarter and complements the ongoing work on the Riverside Sunderland development where we are transforming the city centre into an extraordinary place to live and work and a vibrant destination for leisure and culture."

Councillor Beth Jones, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism, said: "The work that has been undertaken as part of the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme has helped to improve the look and feel of a vibrant new cultural quarter in the heart of the city centre. Maintaining and preserving our beautiful heritage buildings means that they can be be enjoyed for many more years to come."

Since its launch, volunteers have spent more than 2,000 hours participating in the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage Scheme, including activities like carrying out historic research, recording lost voices with community actors, music workshops and crafting an embroidered banner that now hangs in Sunderland Minster.

The project also saw 63 students on construction courses at Sunderland College spend over 850 hours on site undertaking training and learning opportunities, and 13 young people learning media skills were also offered placements.

Louise Sutherland, Head of Engagement, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: "It is fantastic to see the completion of the Bishopwearmouth Townscape Heritage project and the hard work of all involved. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, this project has transformed a local green space, restored the fabric of late Victorian and early Edwardian buildings of Sunderland's historic townscape and shared the areas fascinating heritage, ensuring it can be enjoyed by local people and visitors from further afield for years to come."