Latest news with #NationalGlassCentre
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Campaigners claim Glassworks Sunderland location 'unsafe'
Campaigners wanting to save the National Glass Centre (NGC) from closure have claimed its proposed replacement building "raises serious health and safety concerns".Save the National Glass Centre said placing the planned Glassworks "15 metres from high-rise, high-density housing at the bottom of Borough Road" in Sunderland was "reckless".A report discussing repairs to the new site was presented at a council cabinet meeting on Culture, which will run Glassworks, said it would work to ensure the facilities are fit for purpose and said there had been "good progress" on the plans. The city council said there would be an "appropriate" consultation once plans are submitted. Last November the University of Sunderland announced the NGC would close in July 2026, blaming unaffordable repair costs for the at the former Peter Smith Antiques site in Sunniside, is planned to open in 2028. 'Potentially hazardous' The report presented to cabinet on Thursday claimed the new facility would "act as the catalyst for the establishment of the Sunniside Creative Hub" and would help increase footfall to the to the document, the council acquired the building in 2024 "in poor state" and a survey identified a need to complete about £1.7m of repairs to the roof and windows alongside mechanical and electrical upgrades. Enabling works could start as soon as September, subject to funding. A spokesperson for the group fighting to save the NGC said: "Placing a potentially hazardous industrial process next to family homes, and doing so without genuine public consultation, is reckless and disrespectful. "We are not being listened to."Campaigners urged the Labour-run city council to pause the Glassworks development, engage in "a full and transparent public consultation and develop the NGC as a safer and much more suitable location". Sunderland City Council said: "The works considered at Thursday's cabinet meeting relate to the repair and preservation of the former Peter Smith Antiques building."As and when any planning application is submitted the necessary statutory processes will be followed, including appropriate public and stakeholder consultation."Sunderland Culture said: "We continue to make good progress in developing our plans for Glassworks: Sunderland. "This will include all necessary planning approvals and permissions." Campaigners have previously raised concerns that the project costs could exceed the £7.5m estimate, especially if extensive safety and infrastructure modifications are needed to make the new site group has also warned that glass-making might be "lost forever" from Sunderland if the move failed. "The National Glass Centre is world-renowned," added the spokesperson. "Tearing it down without a proven, safe alternative is a cultural tragedy in the making."Sunderland Culture has previously said its fundraising target reflected the costs "for making the building fit for purpose as a glass-making space".It has also said there would be an interim provision in the city to address the gap between the NGC's closure in 2026 and Glassworks opening in 2028. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Uni confirms Sunderland National Glass Centre redundancies
Up to 25 people will be made redundant when a glass centre closes next year, a university has redundancies at the National Glass Centre (NGC) were confirmed to union members and staff at a briefing session earlier this month, the University of Sunderland said.A spokesman said a formal consultation would begin next BBC understands there are currently no plans to transfer the roles to Glassworks, the new hub tasked with preserving the city's glass-making history. Sunderland Culture, which will run the site, has been approached for a facility is due to open in the former Peter Smith antiques warehouse in Sunniside in 2028. It is understood that the redundancy figure does not include staff working at the glass centre's cafe, who are not employed by the university."Earlier this month in a briefing session for staff and union representatives, the university confirmed existing roles that directly support the NGC will become redundant in July 2026, when the building closes," a university spokesman said."Staff were also provided with detailed information about the formal consultation process, which will begin next year and the support and development available for up to 25 affected employees." The National Glass Centre is due to close in July 2026 because of unaffordable repair estimates, ranging between £14m and £45m, have been disputed by critics amid an ongoing campaign to save the site. There have also been warnings that the city could lose its glass-making specialists in the period between the NGC's closure and Glassworks Culture has previously said there would be an alternative glass-making provision in the interim period, subject to funding being secured, with details yet to be confirmed. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
National Glass Centre repair costs are ludicrous, say critics
Campaigners objecting to the closure of the National Glass Centre (NGC) have claimed repair cost estimates for the building are "ludicrous".The University of Sunderland, which plans to close the centre next year, said fixing the site would cost between £14m and £ Nigel Taylor, a former civil engineer and member of Save the National Glass Centre, said the costs published by the university are "very high" and may have deterred "potential benefactors" from providing university said the repair costs were based on "independent advice" and none of the options put forward was affordable given its income is derived from student tuition. The NGC opened in 1998 but the building and land has been owned by the University of Sunderland since 2010.A feasibility study carried out to determine ways to repair the roof suggested two main suggested replacing the existing glass roof with one combining glazing and solid material at an estimated cost of £14mThe other also involved replacement along with additional work on the roof envelope, including its side elevations. The estimated cost for this project was £45m. Mr Taylor said the difference between the lower and higher costs was an "unbelievable spread" and said the true costs should be much lower."I have looked at the £14m estimate in detail and even this does not stand up to scrutiny. The construction costs within that are only £6.5m," he said."The rest is a mix of risk, fees, contingencies and inflation, all of which appear very high to suit the university's narrative."The £14m estimate includes a 10% design and construction risk allowance, a 10% employer risk allowance and a 15% allowance for other project costs, such as IT and audio visual also includes a 16.34% allowance for inflation, which comes to an extra £ report notes an alternative to replacing the roof could be over-cladding it with a "simple secondary roof". While this would prevent light coming through the existing glass roof, it would reduce costs by between £2.5m and £4.5m. 'No support offered' A spokesman for the university said it had invested more than £15m in the NGC over the last decade and the building survey it commissioned in 2022 found a "multimillion-pound investment would be required to address the remedial issues"."The report included risk, VAT, and other project allowances which would be as expected for a project of this scale."The total cost of all the recommended remedial work was, based on independent advice, a minimum £14m and more likely nearer £45m. "The report suggested there may be alternative replacement roofing options which could potentially reduce the total cost by £2.5m - £4.5m."However, none of the options outlined in the building survey report were affordable given that the bulk of the university's income comes from student tuition fees and is spent on its core priority activities of learning, teaching, research, innovation and knowledge exchange."Since the planned closure of the building was announced in 2023, no individual or organisation has come forward to offer any financial support towards refurbishing the building. "The NGC will close on 31 July 2026." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University welcomes Glass Centre closure questions
Sunderland University has said it welcomes questions from the local authority over the decision to close the National Glass Centre. The chief executive of the council is expected to write to the university and demand more information about the centre's repair costs and finances after a motion was passed on Wednesday evening. Save the National Glass Centre campaigners said they were "surprised and delighted" to see cross-party support for the move, and called for the building to be taken into public ownership. A spokesperson for the university said it had been "completely transparent in its decision making" about the closure. The National Glass Centre is set to shut in July 2026. The university had said damage to the building would cost between £14m and £45m to repair - and "no individual or organisation" had offered financial support towards the refurbishment. But the motion, put forward by Conservative councillor Michael Hartnack, questioned the accuracy of the estimated repair bill. It also demanded information about the site's ownership and finances. A university spokesperson said consultation reports about the repair costs had been available to the public on their website for the past two years. "We welcome the questions from the chief executive of Sunderland Council and will continue to be open and transparent in our answers," they added. A spokesperson for the campaign group to save the centre said the latest development was "a powerful and encouraging step forward". They said: "For years, we have been calling for local leadership to stand up for the National Glass Centre, and we're genuinely heartened that councillors have united to take action. "We also renew our call for the University of Sunderland to be more transparent about the circumstances leading to the closure." A university spokesperson said it had accepted an invitation to appear at the council's Economic and Prosperity Committee in January over the closure, but was asked to provide a written statement instead due to the number of items on the agenda. "This was supplied as requested," they said. The upcoming letter is also expected to ask questions about Glassworks, the new facility set to replace the centre. It would be based in the former Peter Smith antiques warehouse in Sunniside and be run by arts organisation Sunderland Culture. However, the motion said the new scheme "fails to address the loss of expertise" caused by the closure of the national centre and was only "partially costed". The £7.5m facility has secured £5m from the government's Cultural Development Fund, with efforts under way to raise the remaining £2.5m. A spokesperson for Sunderland Culture previously said its fundraising target reflected the costs "for making the building fit for purpose as a glass-making space". Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Concerns raised about glass centre's repair costs Why is the National Glass Centre closing? Proposed new Glassworks site announced National Glass Centre
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Sunderland University welcomes Glass Centre closure questions
Sunderland University has said it welcomes questions from the local authority over the decision to close the National Glass chief executive of the council is expected to write to the university and demand more information about the centre's repair costs and finances after a motion was passed on Wednesday evening. Save the National Glass Centre campaigners said they were "surprised and delighted" to see cross-party support for the move, and called for the building to be taken into public ownership.A spokesperson for the university said it had been "completely transparent in its decision making" about the closure. The National Glass Centre is set to shut in July 2026. The university had said damage to the building would cost between £14m and £45m to repair - and "no individual or organisation" had offered financial support towards the the motion, put forward by Conservative councillor Michael Hartnack, questioned the accuracy of the estimated repair also demanded information about the site's ownership and finances.A university spokesperson said consultation reports about the repair costs had been available to the public on their website for the past two years."We welcome the questions from the chief executive of Sunderland Council and will continue to be open and transparent in our answers," they added. 'Genuinely heartened' A spokesperson for the campaign group to save the centre said the latest development was "a powerful and encouraging step forward".They said: "For years, we have been calling for local leadership to stand up for the National Glass Centre, and we're genuinely heartened that councillors have united to take action."We also renew our call for the University of Sunderland to be more transparent about the circumstances leading to the closure." A university spokesperson said it had accepted an invitation to appear at the council's Economic and Prosperity Committee in January over the closure, but was asked to provide a written statement instead due to the number of items on the agenda."This was supplied as requested," they said. The upcoming letter is also expected to ask questions about Glassworks, the new facility set to replace the centre. It would be based in the former Peter Smith antiques warehouse in Sunniside and be run by arts organisation Sunderland the motion said the new scheme "fails to address the loss of expertise" caused by the closure of the national centre and was only "partially costed".The £7.5m facility has secured £5m from the government's Cultural Development Fund, with efforts under way to raise the remaining £2.5m.A spokesperson for Sunderland Culture previously said its fundraising target reflected the costs "for making the building fit for purpose as a glass-making space". Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
