University rebids to pull down old teaching block

The Forster Building, in Sunderland, has been unused in recent years

Plans to demolish a former university teaching block have been re-submitted after previous approval lapsed.

The University of Sunderland was granted permission to knock down the Forster Building, off Chester Road, in 2020 and the site had been earmarked for almost 260 student flats with ground-floor shops.

However, no work took place.

If the new application is backed by Sunderland City Council, work would be scheduled to begin in February and be completed by May.

A supporting statement submitted to council officials on behalf of the university notes the building's structures are "not unsafe or uninhabitable".

However, it adds demolition is needed "as part of the wider works for the University of Sunderland to better their educational facilities".

No redevelopment of the site is currently proposed and the site would be "securely fenced off".

The building was constructed in 1975, is four storeys and has car parking areas, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It is understood it has not been used since 2017.