FulwellCain Studios, a joint venture between global entertainment company Fulwell 73 and Cain International, aims to build the Crown Works Studios on land stretching up from Pallion Shipyard on the banks of the river Wear.

The hybrid application sets out specific plans for phase one of the studios, with two further phases also submitted for outline consent.

In all, the development will deliver a 1.68m sq ft film industry hub at Pallion with 20 sound stages suitable for major feature film and HETV productions.

The plans are due to go before local authority’s committee in March 2024. If consented, backers claim they will then need Government support to get over the line to start construction.

With Government backing, spades could be in the ground later next year, with the final phase set to complete by 2027.

Crown Works – named after the former shipyard that once stood on the site – will be transformational for the city’s economy, cultivating an eco-system on a scale not seen since Nissan’s investment in Sunderland in the 1980s, while meeting the growing demand for studio space in the UK.

Leo Pearlman, managing partner at Fulwell 73, said: “Sunderland City Council has shown its commitment to our plans with this application, and we have demonstrated ours too, with everything lined up and ready to go should we gain approval and get the support we need from Government.

“This is a transformational plan that will reinvigorate not only the city and region’s economy, but will represent a shot in the arm for the UK’s creative industries and we are determined to do everything we can to ensure the impact of the studios are fully understood and supported.”