Sunniside, Sunderland
Encyclopedia
Sunniside is a district of Sunderland, North East England
, situated towards the eastern side of the city centre, bounded to the west by Fawcett Street, to the south by Borough Road, and to the north and east by Sunderland's Inner Ring road. A significant programme of urban development has established Sunniside as a centre of culture, film, dining, entertainment and art in the city. It is also known as the historic heart of Sunderland's legal and real estate sectors, with many solicitors and estate agencies based in the area.
as the original business centre of Sunderland. At the height of Sunderland's power as a shipbuilding centre, most of the mercantile insurance and reinsurance companies and other associated business functions were based in Sunniside, as were a substantial number of foreign consulates, including the Netherlands
, Denmark
and Russia
. Situated between West Sunniside and Norfolk Street is the old General Post Office
building, now converted to residential use.
As the economic fortunes of Sunderland waned in the 1980s, however, many of the lucrative businesses left Sunniside and many others moved westward to new locations in the city centre and out of town, leaving the area to become plagued by urban decay
. In the late 1990s, the Sunniside district was earmarked by the local council as a priority for urban renewal.
released 15 year long proposals for Urban regeneration in the area, and they worked with the One Northeast
regional redevelopment corporation and the city council to begin improvements on Sunniside with an investment
In 2007, the first redevelopment was completed; bringing the old Sunniside Gardens back to life with a complete makeover and a modern iconic sculpture to go along with it. and the following year after that new bars and cafes in the area were opened, along with the new £6 million development arts centre, "ThePlace"
Despite these developments the regeneration in Sunniside is not yet complete, with Sunderland Arc and the newly formed Sunniside partnership looking to establish more homes, businesses, jobs, and an overall masterplan in Sunniside to make the area stand out once again.
.
, is currently under production after it secured a £6 million deal from MonteCristo
at the Cannes film festival
.
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, situated towards the eastern side of the city centre, bounded to the west by Fawcett Street, to the south by Borough Road, and to the north and east by Sunderland's Inner Ring road. A significant programme of urban development has established Sunniside as a centre of culture, film, dining, entertainment and art in the city. It is also known as the historic heart of Sunderland's legal and real estate sectors, with many solicitors and estate agencies based in the area.
History
Sunniside grew up in the Victorian EraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
as the original business centre of Sunderland. At the height of Sunderland's power as a shipbuilding centre, most of the mercantile insurance and reinsurance companies and other associated business functions were based in Sunniside, as were a substantial number of foreign consulates, including the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Situated between West Sunniside and Norfolk Street is the old General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
building, now converted to residential use.
As the economic fortunes of Sunderland waned in the 1980s, however, many of the lucrative businesses left Sunniside and many others moved westward to new locations in the city centre and out of town, leaving the area to become plagued by urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
. In the late 1990s, the Sunniside district was earmarked by the local council as a priority for urban renewal.
Regeneration
It was in 2003 that Sunderland's area regeneration company, Sunderland ArcSunderland Arc
Sunderland Arc was a privately-owned, non-profit, urban regeneration company based in Sunderland, North East England.It ceased operations in 2011.-History:...
released 15 year long proposals for Urban regeneration in the area, and they worked with the One Northeast
One NorthEast
One North East is the regional development agency for the North East England region.-History:It was established in April 1999. The North East receives a lot of government aid for regeneration....
regional redevelopment corporation and the city council to begin improvements on Sunniside with an investment
In 2007, the first redevelopment was completed; bringing the old Sunniside Gardens back to life with a complete makeover and a modern iconic sculpture to go along with it. and the following year after that new bars and cafes in the area were opened, along with the new £6 million development arts centre, "ThePlace"
Despite these developments the regeneration in Sunniside is not yet complete, with Sunderland Arc and the newly formed Sunniside partnership looking to establish more homes, businesses, jobs, and an overall masterplan in Sunniside to make the area stand out once again.
Awards
The regeneration projects of Sunniside have won two national words for their revival of that area of the city. In 2007 the area firstly won an award from the "Landscape Institute Awards" in London for the regeneration and in 2008 Sunniside won the "North East Renaissance Award" from the Royal Institution of Chartered SurveyorsRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is an independent, representative professional body which regulates property professionals and surveyors in the United Kingdom and other sovereign nations....
.
Film-making
Sunniside is home to the film company "Tanner Films Ltd" which was set up in 2008. The company's first film, a crime drama called "King of the North" starring Angus MacFadyenAngus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
, is currently under production after it secured a £6 million deal from MonteCristo
Montecristo
Montecristo is a small Italian islet, approximately 4.3 kilometers across at its widest point, located about halfway between Corsica and mainland Italy; south of Elba and west of Giglio. It is part of the Tuscan Archipelago...
at the Cannes film festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
Attractions
Because of the regeneration projects and other private investment, Sunniside now has a strong range of attractions, these are;- Sunniside Gardens - public gardens.
- ThePlace - Modern art centre
- Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art - art gallery
- Empire Cinema - multiplex picturehouse, opened 2006
- Tenpin - a 32-lane bowling facility, opened 2008
- Gala Casino - casino facility
- Frankie & Benny'sFrankie & Benny'sFrankie & Benny's is a chain of Italian-American restaurants in the UK with numerous outlets nationwide run by The Restaurant Group plc. Its first location was Leicester in 1995 but now the chain has over 150 locations across the UK and also abroad, and smaller branches called "Little...
- American style restaurant - Nando's - Portuguese style restaurant
- Thai Manor - Thailand style restaurant