Sunderland has been labeled as ‘very alarming’ in report after report.

Sunderland City Council has responded to opposition charges that a January study is “deeply worrying” for the city.

The 42-page research was produced by the Centre for Cities, a think tank dedicated to improving the economies of the UK’s 63 major cities and towns.

The comprehensive report included figures for 2010-2022 on population, income, jobs, housing, affordability, poverty, productivity, business start-ups, skills, and air quality. Sunderland ranked first for air quality.

Among the dozens of statistics and league tables in the report, Sunderland’s Conservatives have highlighted sections which place the city in the bottom 10 for business start ups, the slowest growing population of any English city and the third lowest performing in terms of job creation between 2010 and 2022.

Sunderland Conservatives’ leader, Cllr Antony Mullen, said: “This is a highly concerning report for Sunderland. We not only do not perform poorly in comparison to other UK cities, but also in comparison to neighboring North East cities.

“Sunderland has received tens of millions of pounds in Levelling Up support from the government, including for Culture House, the Riverside development, and job creation around the IAMP, and it is appropriate that this assessment advises that it continue.

“But there also needs to be a local strategy published by the council to show how it will revive our failing city centre, as a place that combines living, leisure, retail and business.

“We hear on a weekly basis of businesses in Sunderland closing. We need to reverse that trend and make Sunderland an attractive place to live, invest and spend.”

But leader of the Labour council, Cllr Graeme Miller, replied: “Another day, and another misguided and frankly damaging statement from an increasingly desperate Conservative Party about this city, that serves only to advance their own political agenda.

“If only they spent as much time talking up this city and backing our ambitious plans as they do trashing talking it.

“The city of Sunderland is evolving. According to the ONS Annual Population Survey, the number of Sunderland residents in employment increased by 14,800 (13.4%) between 2011 and 2023, compared to 7.9% for the North East and 11.5% for the UK.

“A positive trend that we will build on as we create more business space – 1 million sq ft of city centre office space at Riverside Sunderland – to ensure we can welcome more new and growing companies to the city, as well as moving forward with developments like Crown Works Studios and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, which will create and sustain tens of thousands of jobs.”

“There has never been a more cohesive plan for growth for this city, nor a more hopeful and optimistic time for the city… you would be forgiven for thinking this is another cynical attempt from Cllr Mullen and his cronies to be selective with the truth and talk down this city for their own political gain.”