North-east multi-franchised operator Jennings Motor Group has started work on a £5.5m development in Wearside.

Due to open towards the end of this summer on the site of a former transport depot off Wessington Way, Sunderland, the facility will house Ford and Mazda car dealerships and a purpose-built Ford commercial sales centre.

Overlooking the A1231 dual carriageway, the project was designed by local architect Dixon Dawson and is being built by Whelan Construction, another Wearside company.

Jennings’ existing dealership in North Hylton, Sunderland, will close when the Wessington Way supersite is fully operational with the transferred sales, aftersales and service departments.

The company, which underwent a management buy-out in August last year, also has dealerships in Stockton, South Shields, Morpeth, Gateshead, Washington and Middlesbrough – the latter also with supersite status representing Ford, Mazda, Seat, Subaru and Isuzu.

Nicky Dalkin, operations director, says: “This is an extremely exciting time for the Jennings Motor Group. We are delighted work has started on the site in Sunderland and look forward to further developing the highly successful relationship we have with our customers in the area.”