We're celebrating the completion of our Cricketers Hill development in Sunderland, with all 115 affordable homes now occupied and customers settled into their new community.
To mark the milestone, we opened a new play area this month at the development and invited residents and their families to a special opening event. Children received goodie bags and enjoyed free ice cream as neighbours came together to celebrate the growing community and make the most of the new outdoor space.
Delivered in partnership with RE:GEN Group, the £27.7 million development has transformed a 4.28-hectare brownfield site into a thriving new neighbourhood. The scheme was supported by £6.6 million from Homes England and £1.95 million from the Brownfield Land Release Fund.
The development provides 115 much-needed two, three and four-bedroom homes and forms part of our commitment to increasing the supply of affordable housing across Sunderland. The scheme includes a mix of affordable rent, shared ownership and rent to buy homes, helping more people access a home that meets their needs and providing opportunities for customers to take their first steps onto the housing ladder.
Construction began in 2023 and the project overcame significant challenges following the administration of the original contractor. Working closely with partners, we successfully remobilised the site and restarted construction within six months, maintaining momentum on the delivery of much-needed affordable homes for local people.
The homes have been designed to help customers reduce both their environmental impact and household bills. Features including air source heat pumps, solar panels, smart meters, full-fill cavity wall insulation and electric vehicle charging points help improve energy efficiency, lower running costs and keep homes warmer for residents.
Customer feedback has highlighted the positive impact the development is having on residents. Customers described being “delighted with our bungalow” and feeling “privileged to rent it”, reflecting a strong sense of pride in their new homes.
For some, the move has been life changing. One resident said moving into a bungalow fulfilled a lifelong dream and felt “like all my Christmases had come at once” when they first saw it. Another shared that without the opportunity to move into Cricketers Hill, they would never have been able to access a home of this quality.
Ali Johnson, Assistant Director of Development at Gentoo, said:
“Cricketers Hill is a development we are incredibly proud of, not only because of the homes we've delivered, but because of the partnerships that made it possible.
“Following the administration of the original contractor, we faced a significant challenge. Thanks to the commitment, collaboration and expertise of RE:GEN Group and our wider project partners, we were able to get back on site within six months and maintain our focus on delivering much-needed homes for local people.
“Together, we've transformed a vacant brownfield site into a thriving community, providing 115 high-quality homes and a place where people can put down roots for the future.
“It's fantastic to see families settled into their new homes and children enjoying the new play area. The development has created a real sense of community and a lasting legacy for everyone involved in the project.”
Simon Watson, Regional Operations Director for RE:GEN North East, said:
"It's fantastic to see this project reach completion and to reflect on everything we've achieved together. Not only have we delivered 115 much-needed, high-quality homes, we've also strengthened an incredibly positive partnership with Gentoo. We share the same values and purpose, with a commitment to creating lasting benefits for local communities, and that has been evident throughout every stage of this development.
“Because of that shared vision, this project has been about far more than building homes. We've created seven new jobs for local people, provided training opportunities for 18 individuals of which eight went onto secure a trainee or apprenticeship role and almost half of the people who worked on the development were from the local area. We're immensely proud of what has been achieved, not just in terms of the homes we've delivered, but the opportunities we've created and the positive legacy we've left behind. I'd like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment, it's been an outstanding team effort."
The completion of Cricketers Hill is another significant milestone in Gentoo's programme to deliver affordable homes and create places where local people and families can thrive.
