Sunderland National Glass Centre added to at risk register

The National Glass Centre (NGC) is to be added to a country-wide list of buildings at risk.

The site in Sunderland, which is due to shut at the end of July, will be added to SAVE Britain's Heritage buildings at risk register on 1 July.

The NGC joins more than 1,300 sites around the country which are on the register, although the designation does not offer it any new protections. The charity's engagement manager Amy Popham said the NGC was one of the youngest buildings it was adding to the register this year.

The University of Sunderland, which owns the site, said it continued to follow all planning rules and guidelines in relation to the NGC's closure.

Popham said it was a "no-brainer" to add the site to the list, citing its "stand-out architecture" and "importance to the local community".

"We hope this national publicity will help bring forward an imaginative solution," she said.

The site is closing due to what the university, which has opted for demolition, called prohibitive running and repair costs.

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, external, Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external.