The transformation of a former Sunderland clothing factory is continuing to turn the site into a new gateway into the city.

Textile manufacturer Dewhirst had a strong presence in the region dating back to the 19th Century, employing hundreds of seamstresses in 12 factories across the UK, including Peterlee in County Durham and Leechmere and Pennywell in Sunderland. The business, which supplied firms including Marks & Spencer, moved manufacturing offshore to cut costs, and around 800 jobs were lost when the Leechmere site closed in 2002 and its Pennywell factory closed a year later, as well as thousands more across the region and wider UK.

The site stood largely vacant until UK Land Estates was granted planning permission in 2022 to develop ‘a new gateway’ to the city. Now preparatory wor

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