Nottingham City Council are submitting three bids for a £57 million share of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, to unlock the city’s potential by bringing significant changes to three areas.
The first bid is based in the Broad Marsh area of the city. With a bid of £20 million, the council is looking to prepare the ‘centrepiece’ of an already ongoing project to bring the people of Nottingham together in a place suitable for leisure, performance, and food, whilst providing the perfect springboard for partners in the private sector to bring in investment. Following the collapse of the former owners of the shopping centre, the area has now been transformed into one focused on public engagement.
The rest of the vision for this project would be brought together through the bid, helping to create 6,000 jobs, 750 new homes, and 400,000 square feet of commercial and business space. The rejuvenation of Nottingham’s cave network would also be utilised to boost tourism and World Heritage status.
Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, said:
“Regeneration of Broad Marsh has been long overdue, and the project is a top priority for our city.
“Access to levelling up funding would ensure the completion of the project and would provide a unique opportunity for local residents and businesses to secure and create jobs and generate major investment.
“As supported by many Nottingham residents, the funding would also allow for new green space to be created as part of the redevelopment, supporting the city’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2028.”
The second bid sees £20 million being allotted for developments to key amenities and transport links in Bulwell. With Bulwell town centre sitting inside the tenth most deprived constituency in England, the investment in the area would help to bring pride, by bringing improvements to the market place, as well as urban greening, whilst also providing easier access for residents by improving the standard of the connectivity between key locations.
Speaking about the Bulwell project, MP for Nottingham North, Alex Norris, said:
“Bulwell is a fantastic community with a thriving market, but the growth of online shopping combined with the current cost of living crisis has hit the town centre hard. This ambitious bid gives us the opportunity to really boost the area and I’m proud to give it my support.”
The final bid focuses on the 36-acre Island Quarter site, which has been derelict for over 30 years. Sitting only 500 metres from Nottingham Station, the project will see developers renovating three heritage warehouse buildings to provide a community open theatre, as well as much needed creative and digital studio space. A large part of the project will also be to connect them to the city, as well as local neighbourhoods. Improvements to access for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle users through an upgraded junction will help to achieve this.
