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Wearside stories you might have missed

Thomas Jackson A music fan wearing a Sunderland Music City white T-shirt enjoys a sold out show at The Fire Station in Sunderland.Thomas Jackson
A number of initiatives celebrating Sunderland's musical heritage have been launched

A musical first for Sunderland, the building of a County Durham hospital, and a street flooded twice in six weeks.

Here are some stories you might have missed on Wearside this week.

Building of long-awaited hospital to go ahead

Medical Architect An artist's visualisation of the two-storey grey brick building with large windows. A sign on the front reads Shotley Bridge Community HospitalMedical Architect
The new hospital will have a rehabilitation ward and an urgent treatment centre

Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Durham will be built after years of delays.

Construction of the facility is expected to start between 2026-2027.

The project was plagued by setbacks and had been thrown into doubt when it was placed under review by the new Labour government.

The new 16-bed in-patient rehabilitation ward and urgent treatment centre will replace the current facility in Shotley Bridge.

City joins international music network

Thomas Jackson The Sunderland Music City Team – Marty Longstaff (left, in red Sunderland Music City T-shirt), Frankie Francis (centre left, in white Sunderland Music City T-shirt), Michelle Daurat (centre right, in red Sunderland Music City T-shirt) and Andrew Dipper (right, in white Sunderland Music City T-shirt) with managing director of the Music Cities Network, Lena Ingwersen (centre, in black Adidas tracksuit with three white stripes across the sleeves) and holding the membership certificate. Marty and Frankie have short brown hair, swept to the back. Michelle has shoulder-length straight brown hair with a side fringe. Andrew is wearing glasses and has a buzz cut. Lena has short wavy brown hair with a fringe. Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge is in the background. It is a green arch structure.Thomas Jackson
Sunderland is the second city in the UK to join the network after Manchester

Sunderland has become only the second city in the UK, after Manchester, to join the Music Cities Network.

It means it will get to collaborate with other members - including Berlin, Sydney and Valencia - on growing its music sector and supporting cultural, social and economic development.

"I'm probably as equally as proud of this status as I was just signing my first record deal," said musician Frankie Francis, who is part of the project.

A number of initiatives, including The Sunderland Year of Music, were also announced.

'Last throw of the dice' in dental surgery fight

Bridge House, a brick building with signs for Mydentist on the first floor. A number of people are walking along the pavements at the front of the building and a white-and-blue DPD delivery van is parked nearby.
Bridge House surgery, in Durham city centre, supports thousands of NHS patients, according to the parish council

A "last throw of the dice" has been made by councillors attempting to block an NHS dental practice being converted into student flats.

A bid to turn the property where Durham's Bridge House Dental Surgery operates into five apartments was rejected by Durham County Council last year, but the developer behind the proposal has appealed to the government's planning inspectorate.

Now the City of Durham Parish Council says it has submitted a formal objection as it looks to "save a popular NHS dentistry service which supports thousands of patients".

Investigation after water main bursts twice in six weeks

Northumbrian Water A white Northumbrian Water van parked on the side of the flooded street. A section of the road, and the surrounding pavement, is covered in water. A passer-by is standing outside Sultan Halal Superstore and looking at the flood.Northumbrian Water
Chester Road in Sunderland has been closed for repairs

An investigation is under way after a street was flooded twice in six weeks because of a burst a water main.

Part of Chester Road in Sunderland had to be closed on Monday after a leak at the Western Hill junction.

The street previously flooded in the same area on 4 December, but Northumbrian Water said a different section of the pipe had burst this time.

A spokesperson said repairs had been completed and the road was expected to reopen fully by early next week.

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