00:00A long-awaited open meeting between the Sunderland City Council and campaigners
00:04fighting to save the National Glass Centre is set to go ahead before Christmas,
00:09marking a key turning point in a bitter battle over the landmark's future.
00:13The meeting comes after Castle Ward councillor Denny Wilson threatened to resign
00:17and stand as an independent unless Labour Council leader Michael Morday agreed to host a public debate.
00:23The ultimatum appears to have worked and councillor Wilson has now confirmed
00:27who will remain in post after securing assurances that this meeting will happen.
00:32The National Glass Centre owned by the University of Sunderland is set to close in July of next year,
00:38with the university citing unaffordable repair costs estimated between £14 million and £45 million.
00:45The university has defended its decision insisting that no viable offers of financial support have come forward
00:51and that it cannot divert tuition income away from its core academic priorities.
00:56But the closure plan has sparked widespread public anger.
01:00Over 40,000 people have signed the petition to save the National Glass Centre
01:03and many have questioned the cost estimates.
01:07A representative of the Save the National Glass Centre group said
01:10they also plan to present their petition at the next full council meeting.
01:14Council leader, councillor Michael Morday, has stated that
01:17the Council cannot legally force the university to keep the building.
01:22It will support efforts to explore alternative solutions,
01:25including the idea of transferring the National Glass Centre to a charitable trust.
01:30Councillor Phil Ty, chair of Sunderland Labour, added
01:33that several groups have expressed interest in helping to revive the National Glass Centre
01:38and called for clarity on whether the site could return to public ownership.
01:42Mayor Joe Morday, member of Sunderland swallowed the рядом of the National Glass Centre.
02:00So finally, I...
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