Falcon Fox Construction has completed remediation and major civil engineering works at Nile + Villiers, a residential-led regeneration scheme in Sunniside, Sunderland, marking a key stage in the wider redevelopment of the High Street West area.
The project forms part of Sunderland City Council’s Sunniside Place Strategy, a ten-year regeneration framework aimed at delivering new housing, commercial space and public realm improvements in the city centre.
Falcon Fox is acting as construction manager for the scheme, which will deliver 75 energy-efficient homes alongside around 6,000 sq ft of commercial space fronting High Street West.
Development will reintroduce two streets previously removed in the 2000s, which historically supported local trades including printing, cabinet making and textiles.
Of the 75 homes being delivered, 65 will be acquired by build-to-rent operator Placefirst, with the remaining properties released for private sale. The commercial units are intended for smaller and start-up businesses.
Wider regeneration plans for Sunderland city centre include around 2,000 new homes across Riverside Sunderland, Sunniside and West Park, forming part of the council’s long-term growth strategy.
Construction progress includes timber frames and infrastructure works
Since starting on site in autumn 2025, Falcon Fox has completed remediation and civil engineering works, with structural timber frames now being installed across multiple phases of the development.
Internal fit-out works are also progressing as construction advances on the mixed-use scheme.
The project incorporates energy efficiency measures including photovoltaics, timber frame construction and air source heat pumps. It also includes a landscaped central area and a sustainable urban drainage system installed at depth below ground level.
Social value and local supply chain involvement
Falcon Fox has reported creating five new roles as a result of the project and has engaged subcontractors and suppliers from the North East supply chain, including All Floors Services in Boldon and James Burrell Builders Merchants in Sunderland.
Duncan Bowman, director at Falcon Fox, said: “We were delighted to be appointed at the outset of such an ambitious regeneration project for the city of Sunderland and, through our commitment to deliver added social value, we are recruiting new staff and ensuring companies from within the North East are given the opportunity to provide their services and expertise throughout the development process.
“This project combines really striking and innovative architecture with fully tiled façades and EPC A rated homes that incorporate many sustainable features including photovoltaics, timber frames and air source heat pumps. The housing is designed to generate a real community feel with homes located around a central landscaped area with a sustainable urban drainage system which is buried 4.50 metre below ground.
“The project comprises elements of major civil engineering and housebuilding, making it a technically challenging project, which we are thoroughly absorbed in.”
Patrick Melia, Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see work progressing at pace at the Nile + Villiers development, and even more so to see a North East business playing such a pivotal role in its delivery.
“The scheme is a key part of our ten-year strategy to breathe new life into this historic part of the city, developing a strong sense of place and purpose, creating a safe and active neighbourhood, intensifying the population and business uses, supporting the growth of the local cultural and creative community, and sustaining change through cooperative stewardship.
“Completing the civil engineering works is an exciting milestone in the delivery of the development and the ongoing transformation of Sunniside.”
