Sunderland Illuminations lights to remain on Wearmouth Bridge for longer

City bosses have agreed lights currently decorating the Wearmouth Bridge can stay in place until the end of the month.

By James Harrison

Published 21st Mar 2020, 06:00 BST

Updated 25th Mar 2020, 09:17 BST

Sunderland's Festival of Light in Mowbray Park. Lights from Sunderland Illuminations are to remain in Wearmouth Bridge a while longer.

Permission was granted last year for 100 coloured LED lighting bars to be attached to the landmark crossing as part of the Sunderland Illuminations and Festival of Light.

The original decision had allow for these to be in place until the end of January 2020.

But according to a submission to Sunderland City Council ‘due to technical issues, the lighting switch-on was delayed’, prompting organisers to apply to keep them on for an extra two months, until March 30.

The application was approved by members of the city council’s Planning and Highways Committee on Tuesday.

The Grade II-listed Wearmouth Bridge was built in 1929, replacing an older iron crossing constructed more than 100 years earlier, in 1793.

The Sunderland Illuminations have been staged intermittently since the 1930s.