00:01For Sunderland, the question over what happens to the National Glass Centre is as much about
00:05planning law as it is about the future of the building. The City Council is examining
00:10whether demolition would require permission, while the University of Sunderland still proposes
00:16to demolish the centre. The Council is paying around £25,000 for the surveys and they will
00:24help to establish whether an Article 4 direction could be used. If introduced, that would mean the
00:29University could need planning permission before demolition of the building could go ahead.
00:35Council leader Chris Aynon says the service could help to inform the decision and he argues that while
00:41the building remains standing, there is still a chance of saving it. Campaigner Carolyn Basing has
00:48welcomed the Council's move, describing it as investment in the centre's future. The University
00:54says its decision to close the centre was based entirely on independent reports about repairs
00:59and financial viability. It says it's following requirements for the proposed demolition,
01:05and that no plant has yet been put forward to meet the costs.
01:10The building was transferred to the University in 2010. Arts Council England says a covenant protecting
01:18it for public benefit expired in January 2023. The Council is considering what action, if any,
01:26could keep the building standing.
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