More than 1,000 UK Government employees will be moving into a towering new office block in Nottingham on Monday, April 11, following years of failed plans to redevelop a prime spot in the south of the city. By May a further 4,000 staff will have moved into what has been described as the most significant development in the East Midlands in more than a decade.
The Unity Square tower, off Sheriffs Way, was once the site of a multi-storey car park before it was demolished in 2017 to make way for fresh investment. A number of failed proposals were submitted in the years following, including a new base for Channel 4.
This never materialised, however, along with a number of other plans including a hotel and an office block that would have been partially inhabited by Nottingham City Council. It wasn't until 2018 that HMRC announced it had pre-let the tower block to be used as a new UK Government hub.
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Eventually, there are plans to complement the building with another, even taller sibling. Planning permission was granted for two buildings and the second scheme awaits investment before work commences.
Nottinghamshire Live was given a first-look around the colossal tower block opposite Nottingham Railway Station on Thursday, April 7. Adam Altoft, the director of benefits and credits and senior sponsor for the hub, said 1,000 staff members would be moving in from Monday, April 11, with a further 4,000 rolling in by May.
The modern office block has been designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind, while huge glass-paned windows fill the nine-storey tower with natural light. Neutral colours are punctuated with vibrant and real plant life, which will be cared for by contractors.
Within the state-of-the-art building, there are 18 named meeting rooms out of a total of approximately 50, which reflect numerous landmarks in the East Midlands. "All of the meeting rooms are named after things in the region, such as Sherwood, Wollaton and Chatsworth," Mr Altoft says.
"We have got various pieces of art and photos that colleagues have taken of different landmarks in the region to capture the best of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire."
Smart elevators take staff members up nine floors at two-metres per second says Andy Lee, the design lead for the building. Atop the tower is a balcony with spectacular views of Nottingham city centre.
Employees will be working for HMRC in a number of roles, while roughly 1,000 of the 5,000 staff members will be working as civil servants for other Government departments such as the Department for Education. There are now 100 additional jobs than there were in Nottingham two years ago, when HMRC was based at its Castle Meadow site.
Speaking of some of the building's modern design features, Mr Lee said: "We have got two wellbeing rooms, recovery rooms and reflection rooms, including spaces for ritual washing. These multi-purpose rooms give colleagues the opportunity to get away from their desks and for prayer."
Mr Lee said seeing the building in a finished state is rewarding. He added: "We did one in Leeds and I did that before this one. I found it quite challenging. For a couple of years there is not a lot of progress but then it all happens and it comes to fruition."
Businesses in the area, including Carrington Street, are anticipating a boost in their customer numbers. Concern had been raised for the future of one of the city's primary gateways, with the Broadmarsh Centre's planned redevelopment crumbling as its previous owner intu entered administration a few months into the coronavirus pandemic.
This now half-demolished site, combined with significantly lower footfall from fewer commuters coming in from Nottingham's train station during the pandemic, left Carrington Street's businesses struggling. The historic shopping street has since undergone a stunning transformation, with shop frontages restored to their former glory, and it has formed part of the ongoing transformation of the city's southside.
Stephen Fern, the finance director for 200 Degrees, says its Carrington Street cafe has been one which has struggled more due to its reliance on commuters, alongside its Birmingham-based cafe near New Street Station. He therefore welcomed the news of the Unity Square hub opening.
He said: "It is great news, amazing news. From our perspective, anything that helps footfall in the city is a great thing."
Nina Meliou, of Carrington's Fish Bar, echoed Mr Fern's thoughts. She added: "We've been anticipating it for a while now. Since the Broadmarsh Centre has been shut down completely we have seen less customers. We used to get shoppers and regulars from it.
"We've been really excited about it. Carrington Street was a thriving part of the city many years ago but it had started to become the less pretty side of the city. But things have changed."
