Bids totally £57 million have been put into the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to unlock a range of schemes in Nottingham’s Broad Marsh area, Bulwell town centre and the Island Quarter.
The city council has asked for £20 million to support work on the 20-acre Broad Marsh site. Plans to totally transform the area were drawn up following the collapse of intu, owners of the former Broadmarsh shopping centre, in partnership with urban designer Thomas Heatherwick.
The Broad Marsh bid would see the “Frame” of the derelict shopping centre retained and reimagined into a new space to bring people together in the city for leisure, performance and food, potentially unlocking 6,000 jobs and making way for 750 homes and more than 400,000 sq ft of commercial and business space.
The area would have what the council calls a ‘Green Heart’ providing a wildlife rich green space in the heart of the city centre, and the plans also include rejuvenating Nottingham’s cave network to boost tourism and World Heritage status.
A further £20 million bid has been made to regenerate Bulwell town centre, on the edge of the city, which the council says sits in the tenth most deprived constituency in England.
If successful it would see a new Bulwell Promenade with green space and public realm alongside the River Leen as well as improvements to the market place and restoration of historic buildings. Public transport would also be improved.
Meanwhile a £17m Levelling Up Fund Island Quarter bid would go into the 36 acre site which is already in the midst of redevelopment.
That bid has been submitted on behalf of developers Conygar, and focuses on renovating three warehouse buildings at the heart of the site, to create a community open theatre and creative and digital studio space. Access would be improved for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers with an upgraded junction connecting the site to Sneinton.
City Council Leader Coun David Mellen said: “We believe that Broad Marsh is perhaps the most significant development site in the country right now and that our ambitious proposals offer a chance for Nottingham to re-imagine the future of city centres and uplift not just the Broad Marsh, but support jobs and growth for the wider city and region, unlocking benefits for us all and future generations.
“A successful bid for the Frame would help unlock the wider vision for a new “green heart” for the city, rejuvenating the caves and creating new homes, jobs and business opportunities.
“We would also look to increase footfall, visitor numbers and cultural participation ahead of development getting underway, through a programme of events and activities which continue the Big Conversation and engage people in shaping the future of their city centre.
“Bulwell town centre has great potential which deserves to be realised and our bid will enhance some of the key elements that make the town special.
“The market and the riverside area will be given the love and attention they need, along with the sort of shop front rejuvenation which has made such a difference in parts of the city centre and thoughtful public realm improvements including a Bulwell Promenade.
“The Island Quarter is a key site next to the city centre for which ambitious plans are already underway but support from the Levelling Up Fund would help enhance further creating opportunities and improving access for local communities.
“These bids are the absolute essence of what Levelling Up should be all about, so we are hopeful of success.”
Greg Nugent, Chair of the Greater Broad Marsh Advisory Group, said: “This is amazing progress on Broad Marsh, rooted in the vision we love but practical next steps needed to start the big build. This is an unmissable opportunity for Government and the whole idea of levelling up to unlock our potential as a city.”
Robert Ware, Chief Executive of the Conygar Investment Company, said: “While Conygar already has investment in place to support the regeneration of The Island Quarter and its various phases that make up the site, the Levelling Up Fund will allow us to accelerate our work so that Nottingham can make the most of the economic benefits of The Island Quarter as quickly as possible.
“With monies from the fund, Conygar will be able to proceed immediately with the refurbishment works to the two incredible heritage warehouses on the site to bring them back to life.”
