Save the National Glass Centre campaigners are questioning the speed of a council decision that could save the building on the River Wear, despite its closure on July 31.
Campaigners occupied the building on Friday, July 31, after the doors were closed for the final time at 12 noon. The building's owner, the University of Sunderland, wants to demolish it, but campaigners believe it can and should be saved and have submitted an application for the building to be listed.
Campaigners Seek Building Preservation Notice
The campaign group has also requested that the council consider issuing a Building Preservation Notice, which would effectively remove permitted development rights for up to six months while a decision is made on the listing.
Carolyn Basing, chair of the Save the National Glass Centre Campaign Group, said: "The university want to demolish it, they have got permitted development rights. Article 4 would remove permitted development and the University would have to apply for full planning permission and there'd be more democratic scrutiny."
Council Accused of Dragging Heels
The campaign group is now questioning when a decision will be made, almost five months after the motion was put before the council. On March 26, Sunderland City Council's previous Labour administration requested council officers make an Article 4 direction to remove permitted development rights in respect of the National Glass Centre.
The council said that any potential direction must be based on "robust evidence," and that a request has since been made by the leader of the council for a timeline of assessment and determination. A further application has been made to the council recently to list the building as an Asset of Community Value.
University Seeks Immunity from Listing
At the same time, the University of Sunderland has made an application to Historic England on behalf of the Secretary of State for the building to be granted a Certificate of Immunity from listing.
Sunderland Council said that due process needed to be followed. A spokesperson said: "Work in relation to all of these processes, including the assessment of the grounds for a potential Article 4 Direction, which are all formal statutory and evidence-based processes, is ongoing and it is not appropriate for the City Council or any other party to pre-judge the outcome of these."
The University of Sunderland has previously said that no individuals or organisations had come up with a feasible plan to commit to the Glass Centre's ongoing operation and maintenance.
