'Mixed picture' on people returning to offices in Sunderland - and what it means for the city centre

Council chiefs are seeing a “mixed picture” around businesses bringing employees back into offices in Wearside.
Questions have been raised about the future demand for offices as more firms adapt to homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis.Questions have been raised about the future demand for offices as more firms adapt to homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis.
Questions have been raised about the future demand for offices as more firms adapt to homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis.

Sunderland City Council’s ‘City Plan’ aims to strengthen the city centre with more businesses, housing and jobs in coming years.

Although works are ongoing at Riverside Sunderland as part of this vision, questions have been raised about the future demand for offices as more firms adapt to homeworking during the Covid-19 crisis.

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“The [performance report] mentions a stronger city centre with more businesses, housing and cultural opportunities and identifying the need to attract new jobs and office jobs in particular,” Cllr Doris Turner said.

“Well the problem is more people are working from home and some businesses seem to want to keep people working from home.

“I was wondering if we’ve had any indication of whether some people want to have smaller offices or not to continue to work in the city anymore.”

Cllr Turner was speaking at a meeting of the council’s Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee.

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Assistant Director of Digital and Customer Service, Liz St Louis, said the council is continuing to work to attract and retain businesses in Sunderland.

“It’s early days it’s fair to say and I think the picture is changing quite rapidly,” councillors were told.

“I think we were seeing more confidence about people returning to workplaces which has probably changed again particularly over the last week with everything that’s happening.

“We’re seeing that a little two-fold, some offices are starting a phased return to work and some still are working very much from home."

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The council officer added: “We’re working very closely with businesses and with our business investment team and our partners that support businesses such as the Business and Innovation Centre and Software City.

“It’s fair to say we’re seeing a mixed picture but significant work again going on to make sure that we do attract those jobs and those businesses and actually keep those businesses in Sunderland and keep them afloat.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously announced that employers can bring staff back to work if safe to do so.

However many employees continue to work from home as companies embrace the use of digital technology.

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The number of Covid-19 cases confirmed in Sunderland has risen sharply in recent weeks, with a number of bars and restaurants in the area closing as a precaution.

A report prepared for the council’s scrutiny panel this week added that the challenges of creating a stronger city centre had been “intensified” by Covid-19 due to the impact of government restrictions on city centre businesses during the first quarter of 2020/21.

It goes on to say: “We have, however, continued to make progress on our plans for a range of physical developments with key activity towards the delivery of key city centre housing sites completed and on-site construction commenced for the delivery of a new city centre hotel.

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“Through our everyday planning responsibilities, we continue to work to promote a desirable and vibrant retail and leisure offer ensuring no more food take-away premises.”

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