They're all ears…
Since intu went into administration and the shopping centre was left a building site, there have been grumbles in the city centre about the state of Broadmarsh. There’s been a petition online to make it into a green space, and it has been clear many of us have a vision of what we’d like the space to be.
Thankfully, the future of one of the most important parts of Nottingham city centre is the subject of a Big Conversation launched by the City Council, to get people talking about what they would like to see happen there.
The site of the old Broadmarsh shopping centre covers around a million square feet in the centre of Nottingham surrounded by major projects nearing completion including the new Nottingham College City Hub, the Nottingham Castle transformation and a new car park, bus station and library building.
The Big Conversation will take place over 10 weeks and involve engagement events with local residents, young people, businesses, the voluntary sector and other key partner organisations.
A web app has been developed to provide a guide to the Big Conversation, tell the story of Broadmarsh past and present and give people the opportunity to share their views and ideas on its future by completing a survey.
There will also be a ‘drop-in shop’ on Lister Gate near the entrance to the Broadmarsh walkway open from 10am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in November and December where people can find out more about the Big Conversation and discuss their ideas in person in a Covid-safe way.
City Council Leader, Councillor David Mellen said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine and reshape a significant space right in the heart of one of the country’s Core Cities.”
“The coronavirus pandemic has had a massive impact on national and local economies across the world with the retail industry particularly badly hit. The collapse of intu put a stop to the original plans for the Broadmarsh centre.
“But now the site has been handed over to the City Council we have a chance to look again at this important site and take some time to get a wide range of views and ideas on what should happen next before we finalise future plans.
“What happens next with the Broadmarsh centre is vital to the future of the city and its ongoing regeneration. We have an opportunity here in Nottingham to build a new vision for how cities should look following the coronavirus pandemic – one that is people centred and green but that also leads to jobs and housing, improving quality of life for local people.
“We want everyone to play a part in creating that vision by joining the Big Conversation about Broadmarsh.”
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