Campaign to save Sunderland's National Glass Centre taken to Parliament
Opposition Lib Dem councillors in Sunderland have taken the Save the National Glass Centre campaign to Parliament in a bid for the Government to intervene and keep the centre in its current home on the banks of the Wear.
Following news announced in 2023 that the glass centre is to close, a Save the National Glass Centre Campaign group was established with the group amassing more than 30,000 signatures in support of their calls to keep the Sunderland University owned centre open.
The campaign has been supported by Sunderland Liberal Democrats councillors who today (November 18) confirmed they had taken the campaign to Parliament.
Lib Dem Culture spokesperson Jane Bonham-Carter took up the campaign in the House of Lords, urging the Government to provide funding for the National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art to continue to run in the current building beyond June 2026, when the University of Sunderland has said both will close.
Responding for the Government, the Culture, Media and Sport Minister Fiona Twycross would not commit to the Government stepping in and said it was a matter for the University of Sunderland and Sunderland Culture.
The Minister said £5 million was being provided to develop a new ‘Glass Works’ development at the former Peter Smith’s Antique’s building in Borough Road, in Sunniside.
But Wearside Lib Dems say the plans for a new ‘Glass Works’ development in the Sunniside area of the city would be a ‘massive downgrade’.
Liberal Democrat city councillor for Fulwell and Seaburn Peter Walton said: "It is disappointing that the Government are following their Labour colleagues at Sunderland Council in deciding to do nothing to save the current National Glass Centre and the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art.
“The National Glass Centre is treasured by people across the city and could be saved in its current home – all it would take is political will from this Council and this Government.
“Instead they are ploughing ahead with a new ‘Glassworks’ development even though it will be a massive downgrade on the existing Glass Centre.
“Opposition Lib Dems will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Save the National Glass Centre campaigners who are working tirelessly to get the Council, Government, University and Sunderland Culture to do the right thing and save the Glass Centre before it is too late.”
Glass making has taken place in Sunderland has taken place for the last 1,000 years.
The University of Sunderland said the decision to close the current glass centre is due to spiralling costs of the building.
In an open letter to the city’s residents the university’s vice-chancellor and chief executive Sir David Bell said: “We could never justify multi-millions of pounds of new expenditure on the National Glass Centre given that the bulk of the University’s income comes from student tuition fees and, as such, our monies must be focused on our core student-facing priorities of teaching and research.”
We have contacted the Sunderland Labour Group and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and will publish their responses as and when they arrive.