The leader of Nottingham City Council says new plans for the wider Broadmarsh site will be revealed by the end of March – and promised to prioritise the building of family homes over student accommodation.
Neghat Khan also said £3 million in funding pledged to demolish the rest of the dilapidated former shopping centre should also become available in the next two months.
The Labour-run authority reclaimed the site following the collapse of the Broadmarsh Centre’s former owner, intu, which had been in the process of regenerating it.
A new vision for the area was later announced in 2021 following a public consultation.
Construction firm Willmott Dixon finished demolishing a section of the shopping centre in 2022 before work on the Green Heart city park began.
The new park, which features a marsh area and sandstone rock features inspired by the area’s history, opened in September last year.
Providing an update during a Full Council meeting on Monday (January 27), Cllr Khan, leader of the council, said: “The council is currently working with advisors to finalise the preferred option for the future of Broadmarsh.
“I intend to present these proposals to the Executive Board in March this year.
“This site, as all councillors will appreciate, is of immense geographical and strategic importance to Nottingham and it is vital we get this right.
“We have made steady progress to delivering our vision for Broadmarsh and it was incredibly exciting last year to see that vision come to life.”
Under the vision, which was drawn up with the help of urban designer Thomas Heatherwick, a vast part the former shopping centre’s external frame was intended to be re-purposed for “innovative” new spaces.
However in May last year the council unveiled its new masterplan for the site, which instead retained a smaller section of the frame following concerns from potential developers and investors.
Cllr Khan (Lab) previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) potential developers were “hesitant” to invest in the frame due to construction risks because of its age.
In December last year the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) agreed to give the council around £3m to help further demolition work on the site.
Cllr Khan said the council will submit a business case for its demolition plans at the end of the month, while the funding is expected to become available towards the end of March.
She also told the LDRS there was potential for more student accommodation on the wider site at the time.
During the meeting Cllr Kevin Clarke, leader of the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group, said: “Can the leader of the council give us a commitment that permanent residential accommodation will be prioritised on the site rather than purpose-built student accommodation?”
Cllr Khan added: “That is exactly what we are asking for, no more student accommodation around the city centre. We have got enough of it. Our ambition is to see more housing, more families, and working class people moving in there, rather than students, so that is a commitment that we make.”
