Concerns Raised Over Accuracy of Sunderland City Council’s Publicity Photos
Sunderland, April 25, 2025 – The Sunderland Conservatives have expressed significant concerns regarding the accuracy of publicity photographs released by Sunderland City Council to promote upcoming regeneration projects. The opposition group has highlighted discrepancies between the council’s promotional images and the final outcomes of several key initiatives, including the Keel Square Regeneration, rooftop developments, and the recently completed train station.
In one highlighted poster, still currently located on the old Crowtree site, there is a CGI image of a girl turning into a bird and flying to a cinema in the Bridges – Something else which has not came to fruition currently.
The Keel Square Regeneration publicity photos depicted a large balloon animal sculpture in place of the existing screen, while other images showcased basketball courts atop Primark and extensive green spaces on multiple rooftops. Similarly, promotional materials for the new train station featured flower planters, a café, vibrant decorations, and a brighter color scheme—none of which have materialized one year after the station’s opening.
Sunderland Conservatives argue that these significant differences between the council’s pre-construction publicity photos and the final projects undermine the credibility and usefulness of such materials. They claim the inaccuracies are eroding public trust in the council’s regeneration efforts.
Cllr Antony Mullen, Leader of Sunderland Conservatives, said:
"The Council has used public money to create these computer generated images of future developments and the reality has been nothing like what was promised. Worse still, the Labour Party included these images in its political campaigns as evidence of what it had delivered for Sunderland. The train station is a prime example of where public complaints about a lack of facilities sharply clash with the images of what the Council said it would look like.
"That is not to mention those projects, such as the new Crowtree arena, which have been cancelled altogether. The Council has a duty to achieve value for public money, but these images now appear pointless given they do not in any way reflect what has been delivered."
The Sunderland Conservatives are calling for greater transparency and accuracy in future publicity materials to ensure residents are provided with realistic expectations of the city’s regeneration projects.
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