A key step has been made in the redevelopment of the former Broadmarsh Shopping Centre as Nottingham City Council looks to accept a £100,000 grant from a Government agency. Homes England, a housing agency which funds new affordable homes across the country, has offered the money to go towards the master-planning of the Greater Broadmarsh area.
It comes as a decision on the Labour-run authority’s bid to Government for £20m of Levelling Up funding was pushed back to the new year. The council had missed out on funding in the last round, but submitted another bid alongside a stronger business case for the site in the second round.
A decision was intended to be made before the year is out, but it is now understood this has been delayed. “It is disappointing we won’t get that decision,” Cllr Adele Williams (Lab), the portfolio holder for finance at the local authority, said.
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“I hope we are successful in getting further funding for Broadmarsh but we will nonetheless press ahead with the Green Heart.” Alongside the £20m Levelling Up bid, the council has also been seeking investment elsewhere from both public and private sector partners.
Hundreds of new homes and a more prominent cave entrance are just some of the ideas proposed in the vision for the former shopping centre site. London-based urban designer Thomas Heatherwick has been at the helm of proposing plans, including drawing inspiration from popular attractions across the world.
The Homes England grant has been revealed in delegated decision documents. The agency says it seeks to build better homes faster, by releasing more land to developers, creating investment opportunities and investing in infrastructure.
It has a focus on affordable housing. Council documents say: “As part of the development of the business case for the re-development of the Broadmarsh area, the council is exploring the opportunity to form a partnership agreement with external public sector partners.
“Alongside this, the council is developing the business case for redevelopment and as part of this there is a requirement to turn the vision into a viable and deliverable master-plan. Legal colleagues have received a draft generic Grant Agreement and initially confirmed it appears to be broadly in an acceptable form.
“However, the legal team will review the final engrossed document when received and the project team will review specific obligations before completion of the agreement.” The council’s property team says it considers the work “will be a key factor in informing the council’s business case for the regeneration and redevelopment of the Broadmarsh site.”
A separate delegated decision also shows the council will be extending a contract with a consultant programme manager for the redevelopment of the site. RL Management Ltd is being used to manage progress on the site, because the council does not have sufficient internal expertise.
The cost of the contract is exempt, however. Documents say: “Continuing to provide dedicated programme manager support for the Greater Broadmarsh programme is essential to maintain pace and progress for a key regeneration area in the city centre.
“Broadmarsh is a critical and complex development and additional support is required to ensure that the council is able to optimise the full potential of the redevelopment for the city and effectively manage the associated risks.”
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