Sunderland City Council says at least 50% of the planned new International Advanced Manufacturing Park, which will create 5,200 jobs, will be automotive related.
The UK North East city – home to Nissan in the UK – has signed a deal to create the GBP295m (US$506m) Park which also forms part of a regeneration project that will see a new GBP82.5m bridge built across the River Wear.
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“Certainly we are anticipating on the 100 acre park at least 50% of it will be automotive related,” Sunderland City Council chief investment officer, Tom Hurst, told just-auto.
The CIO added a significant announcement would be made imminently regarding a new – unnamed – automotive supplier for the Park although he was able to confirm it would be related to Nissan’s Infinity model.
“There is a strong push from UK car companies to buy more local content in more Sterling,” said Hurst. “We are in final negotiations with TRW and Lear [for example] for a further expansion.
“The Park is within half a mile of Nissan – people look to be close to each other. We are geared up for infrastructure, that is not an issue.”
Deputy UK Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, invited Sunderland and South Tyneside to bid for the deal at the beginning of 2013 and approved it in March this year.
The initiative will see Sunderland and South Tyneside working closely with the NELEP, plus Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority.
Of pressing concern to the North East region is an upcoming referendum, which will ask Scots if they wish to remain in the United Kingdom or not.
“The big thing for the North East is if Scotland gets independence,” said Hurst. “They will slaughter the North East of England. “Alex Salmond [Scottish National Party leader] made it absolutely crystal clear if he can [attract] people from the North East of England, he will throw the kitchen sink at it.”
The Sunderland chief investment officer added feedback the Council had received indicated if the UK were to leave the European Union following an ‘in-out’ referendum in 2017, that would be a “disaster.”
