Demolition work at Sunderland's Seaburn Centre starts up again after delays

Builders had started to tear down the building, in Whitburn Road, back in November.

However, the discovery of a nesting group of starlings led to work to be halted while an ecology survey was carried out.

The centre, which opened in the mid-80s, closed last March after the council said it was “no longer commercially viable”.

It is due to be converted into a hub for seafront retail and leisure attractions.

Work is expected to take around six weeks to complete.

A statement issued earlier by Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Councillor Stuart Porthouse in relation to they delayed work said the local authority had followed “good practice” by delaying its plans to clear the Seaburn Leisure Centre site.

Building materials from the site are being recycled wherever possible with the area being landscaped pending further development.