A developer is seeking to move forward with plans to build 15 new homes and an apartment block on land surrounding a towerblock in Sneinton that was previously described as looking like a 'derelict prison block' when it was empty. Plans to develop sprawling land around Burrows Court were first proposed more than a decade ago but have never fully progressed.
Burrows Court, built in 1967, underwent refurbishment a number of years ago. It is a huge, 19-storey block with 130 flats and the initial tower block improvements - which mark the first phase of the site's redevelopment - were given the green light in 2013.
But in 2019, work on the refurbishment was said to have stopped. But neighbours of Burrows Court, in Windmill Lane, were left surprised when all of a sudden the existing block appeared to 'spring' to life and people started to move in late last year.
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The second phase that's in the pipeline will complete the site's regeneration, with developers proposing to build the 15 homes and another 41 flats on land surrounding the existing towerblock. Plans submitted on behalf of developer Landmark Capital Investment are recommended by planning officers to be approved by councillors at the next Nottingham City Council planning committee meeting.
CPMG Architects have been working with the developer on the second phase of the site redevelopment. In a report, the city council says: "Planning permission was granted in 2010 for the refurbishment of the existing residential tower block and car parking with six new apartments and eighteen new houses. This was not implemented.
"Planning permission was granted in 2013 for external alterations to the residential tower block. This permission has been implemented and the block refurbished.
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"The current application was submitted in 2017 and has been through a number of iterations and some periods of dormancy. The applicants have now indicated that they wish to move forward and have submitted revised drawings, CGI images, a viability report and fresh ecological surveys."
Plans suggest the new apartment block would be three storeys and built on top of an existing two-storey car park which has 107 spaces. The building would be flat-roofed and constructed of a mix of red and black brick.
The developer would also have to pledge a financial contribution of £491,422 towards affordable housing as well as a financial contribution of £97,564 towards open space improvement. This is known as a Section 106 agreement.
Chris White, director of CPMG Architects, said in 2020: "I think it's targeted at private individuals and or families, the fact that there are some houses in there suggests part of the market will be for families. But they are intended to be, as I understand it, privately owned."
Residents in the area had previously described the current state of the site as akin to a "prison". Many had therefore welcomed redevelopment.
"Take the fence down, it looks like a prison," said pub cleaner Kath Avell in 2019. "Just put some nice houses for people that are going to look after them. Where children can play."
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And Hilary Silvester, the executive chair of the Nottingham Civic Society, said the redevelopment was a "good idea, as long as it's not too intensive". Planning documents add: "Sneinton Neighbourhood Forum (although no longer in existence) welcomed the scheme generally [but] expressed concern about the lack of landscaped front gardens for the new houses on Windmill Lane and request that additional planting is introduced.
"Also that the northeast houses on Windmill Lane present a gable wall and a garden fence to the street, which is not a successful layout. The Nottingham Open Spaces Forum objected to the proposal on grounds of encroachment on to the designated open space network (which is not the case, as the site is adjacent to but not within the open space network).
"Two consultees raised concern about the welfare of badgers on the site. One consultee objects on grounds of increased on street parking." The application will be determined by April 22 this year. It will be discussed during a city planning meeting on April 20.
