Sunderland signs off £2.4m for heritage building restoration
A programme of works that could prepare the Peter Smith’s Antiques building in Sunniside for a glassmaking hub has been rubber-stamped by the local authority’s cabinet.
Sunderland Culture is developing plans to transform the site, once it is ready again for occupation. The project is labelled Glassworks: Sunderland and could see the venue become a de facto successor to the National Glass Centre.
The approval means Sunderland City Council can leverage a UK Shared Prosperity Grant of £2.4m from the North East Combined Authority to deliver a programme of essential repairs and enabling works to secure the integrity of the property, built in 1882, in readiness for future fit-out.
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Works at the Borough Road building will include repairs to the roof, windows, masonry and concrete structure as well as mechanical and electrical upgrades. The aim is to complete the programme by the end of March 2026.
The funding will also support more detailed design and feasibility work for the Glassworks: Sunderland project.
Sunderland Culture has separately secured £5m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s cultural development fund as it looks to put in place a project that allows the city’s centuries-long tradition of glassmaking to continue.
This has become a particularly pressing issue, given the situation with Sunderland’s National Glass Centre, which is expected to close next year.
Developed as recently as 1998, the building is owned by the University of Sunderland, which has cited mounting maintenance costs in its reasoning. A campaign group insisting the centre is saveable has gained some traction, with a Labour councillor this month suspended for supporting the dissenting voices.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said of the Sunniside scheme: “This is a fantastic step forward in our aim to restore a key heritage building to enable further investment.
“We’re pleased to have been able to secure funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to carry out works that will enable this important building to be preserved, and – of course – we’re buoyed by plans being prepared by Sunderland Culture to preserve glassmaking in the city.”
Cllr Johnston added: “Glassmaking is a centuries old skill that Sunderland is incredibly proud of and we look forward to preparing this building for a future use and working with Sunderland Culture as they develop plans for a new facility for creators and artisans to continue this tradition.”
For the council, the Glassworks: Sunderland project is another boost to its efforts to regenerate Sunniside. This includes creative investments at venues such as the Norfolk Hotel, as well as a £1.9m investment in Sunniside Social, and a host of residential conversions.
Sunderland Culture – which bid for the £5m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport – is leading the plans for Glassworks: Sunderland.
Nick Malyan, chief executive of Sunderland Culture, said: “This is another exciting step towards the creation of a new creative hub in Sunniside, that will allow generations of glassmakers to continue to create, right here in Sunderland.”
