Work restarts on new Sunderland City Hall as lockdown eases - with 'safety first' promise from chiefs

The City Hall, which will stand on the new Riverside Sunderland urban quarter, is taking shape with construction firm Bowmer + Kirkland on site to build the 190,000 sq ft hub.

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The building is set to house council staff and a range of public sector partners including Gentoo and the Department for Work and Pensions.

However, the global pandemic and lockdown that began in March meant that many projects – including the City Hall – ground to a halt.

How work can be carried out safely

Updated guidelines from Government now mean there is an allowance for circumstances where two-metre social distancing might not be possible on construction sites – with the change in guidance seeing many of the sector’s businesses return to work.

Guidance states “mitigating actions” should still be followed including increased cleaning and hand washing, reduced activity times, ‘back-to-back’ or ‘side-to-side’ working wherever possible and reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’.

City leaders and developers have stressed the City Hall works will be carried out safely.

Leader of Sunderland City Council, Coun Graeme Miller, said: “We’re pleased to see work get back under way on City Hall, a place that will transform the way we are able to support our residents when it opens its doors next year.

“The safety of people working in the city is our number one priority, so we have sought assurances from Bowmer + Kirkland that they are able to proceed with this project in a way that keeps people safe.

“We’re pleased they are in a position to protect the team on-site, and move forward with the construction of this important building that will bring together a range of services to deliver integrated, resident-focused support to our communities.”

The project

City Hall, designed by award-winning architect Faulkner Brown, is due for completion in Autumn 2021 and is twice the size of The Beam, the first building to be constructed on the former Vaux site.

It is one of three buildings funded by Legal & General, which announced a £100million investment in the city last year.

The construction project – which was awarded to Bowmer + Kirkland last year – is set to deliver benefits for local residents and companies as part of the council’s community wealth building programme.

It is also expected to create full time and apprenticeship opportunities for Sunderland residents, with a commitment that £29million will be spent in local supply chains and £9million with local Small and Medium-sized enterprises.

Paul Anderson, Project Manager at Bowmer + Kirkland, added: “We’re pleased to be back on site and able to progress with this important building for Sunderland and work is moving at pace.

“Our priority at all times is the safety and wellbeing of our team, and we are moving forward in a way that keeps them safe and protected.”

City Hall is one of a number of major projects under way in the city centre and will be followed by two more offices on the Riverside Sunderland site where the Vaux Brewery once stood.

The planned structure follows the completion of The Beam, which is now home to online grocer Ocado, as well as two other growing businesses.

Elsewhere in the city centre, a 450-seater auditorium is taking shape, plans are afoot to transform the former Gilbridge Police Station, a new hotel is set to rise from the ground at Keel Square and old buildings including Mackie’s Corner and the River Wear Commissioner’s Building are set to get a new lease of life.

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