George Clarke Blast's Sunderland regeneration failure

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/local/all-news/the-time-for-change-is-now-tv-architect-george-clarke-blasts-sunderland-s-regeneration-failure-1-6230674

Well said George! Some classic quotes from that article:

"If you look at Newcastle Quayside, its regeneration started with the court and led to the development of old buildings like the Baltic and the Malmaison."

“It needs a financially viable masterplan.

“It needs to be something which will trigger real economic change in the area, cultural buildings as well as other buildings, like housing"

“Anybody can draw shapes on a piece of paper,” 

“The wrangle over the Vaux site over the last 10-15 years has been a complete waste of time."

I completely agree with all of that.  Sunderland council are a complete and utter waste of space.  The have spectacularly failed the city over the last twenty years - they have managed decline rather than created the conditions for regeneration.   Despite the positive developments over the last 20 years: 

St Peter's Campus & University improvements,

National Glass Centre,

Winter Gardens and Museum,

Stadium of Light,

Sunderland Aquatic Centre,

Bridges Expansion,

Park Lane Bus Station,

Metro extension to Sunderland,

Sunniside (partial) regeneration;

the period can be characterised overall as one of stagnation and decline.  

What Hitler and the Luftwaffe didn't manage to destroy, the city planners bulldozed after the war, in the name of progress.  Much of architectural heritage of Sunderland was lost as a consequence.  Its a small consolation that many of the post-war developments have now themselves fallen victim to the ball and chain (though not all) although some of those should have been preserved!

But, it has left Sunderland scarred.  Little has been done over recent years to rectify this. There has been Vaux site fiasco, of course, but there are many examples of piecemeal and incoherent development, which always seems to detract rather than enhance the architectural character and unity of the city.

Sunderland - whose name derives from land sundered / separated by the river, or land separated from the monastery of Monkwearmouth (Bishop of Jarrow) and the monastery of Bishopwearmouth (Bishop of Durham) - is now the land of sundered development: disconnected, disjointed, incoherant development.  Where character, identity, heritage, recognisable street pattern, pleasing sight lines or even evidence of a plan are absent.  

Desolate post industrial landscapes connecting disjointed modern development, half-hearted regeneration, forgotten streets -leading nowhere, hints of Victorian grandeur hidden amongst unsympathetic post-war developments, incomprehensible one-way system.  And don't get me started on the retail and sea front developments, and the Iconic Bridge!  I could go on.

I love this city and I yearn for its be restored to its former gory, but I am utterly exasperated by the lack of progress and incomprehensible development decisions by the council.  The fact that a high profile commentator / expert, such as George Clarke, has drawn attention to these deficiencies does offer a glimmer of hope.  But its not enough.