Why latest Vaux setback is a body blow for Sunderland

One step forward, two steps back ... Vaux continues to lead the city a merry dance.
An artist's impression of how the new development on the Vaux site will look when it's finished.An artist's impression of how the new development on the Vaux site will look when it's finished.
An artist's impression of how the new development on the Vaux site will look when it's finished.

It looked like we were waltzing towards a fruitful future when work began on the site after more than 17 years of stagnation.

But, in Strictly terms, rather than a 10 from Len, we’re enduring an Ed Balls-like car crash once again.

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Like her, we appear to be going round in circles. It would be funny if it didn’t have such far-reaching implications, not only for the poor workers who are having to down tools, but for the city as a whole.

We’ve waited since the late 1990s for this development to take shape ... and now it feels like murder on the dancefloor!

Nothing has ever been simple with the Vaux development, but this latest setback is a huge body blow.

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The mood music in recent days had not been good. Construction giant Carillion has been in the news non-stop, and none of it has been good.

We were all aware of the significance, but most were hoping against hope that a solution to their financial woes could be found.

Our worst fears were realised last night which the shattering news that work on the first building on the Vaux site had “ceased with immediate effect”.Uncertainty now surrounds the projects after Carillion’s collapse under eye-watering debts of £1.5billion.

There are more questions than answers, but whether this is a blip or something more serious only time will tell.

It’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings, but at the moment, we’ve no idea when the music will start up again.