Regeneration projects boost Sunderland economy by £12.4m

New figures from a Northern contractor have revealed that seven regeneration schemes have boosted Sunderland’s economy by more than £12m.

Esh Construction, which recently opened an office in Sunderland, calculated the economic impact of works on council-led projects to be £12.4m.

The projects include the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor, the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, Port of Sunderland, Greenwells Quay, Potter’s Hill and the Minster Quarter.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, commented: “Community wealth building through commissioning that delivers opportunities for local people and businesses is something we committed to some time ago, and we’ve been absolutely steadfast in that commitment.

“Working with partners like Esh, who share a commitment to sourcing locally wherever they can, has allowed us to maximise the local impact of our investment projects and their work with our communities, including a schools programme that will demonstrate to our young people the range of careers available to them in the city, will do much to raise aspirations in Sunderland too. It’s a very fruitful partnership.”

Ross Markwell, director of business development at Esh Construction, said: “The importance of protecting the ‘local pound’ is paramount in the current climate - as a local contractor we strive to deliver economic benefit for our clients and their communities.

“Across these seven regeneration schemes, we have re-invested 16.5 per cent of the total project spend back into Sunderland’s economy through responsibly procuring local suppliers and subcontractors.”

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