Major development of 600 new homes revealed for Sheepfolds

Major plans to develop up to 600 new homes in the Sheepfolds area in Sunderland have taken a key step forward, with plans officially submitted.

- by Chris Binding

Sunderland City Council has submitted an application to its own planning department for land at the Sheepfolds Industrial Estate, which is earmarked for a major transformation under regeneration plans.

The Riverside Sunderland urban regeneration project includes a new pedestrian footbridge over the River Wear connecting Sheepfolds to the former Vaux site, as well as road and footpath improvements, cycle routes and new public realm.

There have been plans for housing in the Sheepfolds area for some time, with the phased demolition of old industrial units already underway to prepare it for development and CGI images have previously been released showing how a new residential community could look.

In recent months, Sunderland City Council announced Vistry Group would be the preferred developer for the new residential community at Sheepfolds comprising up to 600 new homes, alongside new commercial and community spaces, as part of council plans to boost the city centre's population.

A planning application for the site was submitted at the end of June 2025, but was only 'validated' by council planners this week, and has now appeared on Sunderland City Council's planning portal website.

The hybrid planning application is seeking "full planning permission for the demolition of 38 industrial units (part-retrospective)", as well as full planning permission for "enabling works to facilitate the development of plots four and five" on the site.