Council bosses back civic centre move to Vaux site

Council bosses have backed proposals to move Sunderland Civic Centre to the Vaux site in a bid to replace its HQ with a smaller, more cost-effective base.

On October 17, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet discussed a report recommending a move from the council’s 1970s office in Burdon Road due to rising maintenance bills.

As previously reported, the process could see its current HQ bulldozed to make way for housing.

Two other options were originally presented alongside the Vaux move, including refurbishing the existing civic centre or moving to Holmeside.

In recent weeks, the council stated the preferred option would cost £1.4million less over 25 years than relocating to Holmeside and £4.7million cheaper than revamping the current centre.

Cabinet secretary Coun Paul Stewart, speaking at Sunderland Civic Centre, stressed the move was based around the building needing “significant investment” in future. the proposals which would

“The Vaux site also offers create an “added bonus of the best strategic investment bringing homes back into the to the council as it maximises city”. the economic and regeneration On the civic centre, he added: benefits of the city as “We need to do something well as being the best fit from with this building. There are a strategic policy and planning parts you can walk around and perspective,” he said. it’s like being in another world.

“The Vaux site carries the “There is so much empty lowest level of delivery risk space up there at the moment. and will incur minimal disruption “to service delivery Cabinet member for children, and business continuity as learning and skills, Coun well as offering the most affordablesolutionintheshortest Louise Farthing, added that moving to the brownfield site possible time.” proposal was a “no brainer”

Cabinet member for communities due to its city centre location and culture, John and close links to the university. Kelly, also said he supported