Homes England eyes up developer for Broadmarsh

Plans to build 1,000 homes in the centre of Nottingham took a step forward today, after Homes England announced they had begun their search for a developer for the 20-acre Broadmarsh site.

Demolition work at the derelict former shopping centre officially began earlier this month, with Homes England wasting little time in their plans to make progress at the long-standing regeneration zone they bought up from the city council last year.

As well as houses, around 210,000 sq ft of retail space is planned for the area, with planning application expected to be submitted in 2027, according to a timeline published in March.

• READ MORE: Planned 2028 start for Broad Marsh scheme

Homes England says it’s seeking a developer which “shares its vision” for the site, which also lists Nottingham City Council as a key partner in the scheme – adding that it would need a firm with a track record for undertaking complex urban regeneration projects.

A public consultation exercise was launched on the future of the site earlier this year.

“We have been working really closely with the council to make sure that our vision is a collective vision,” Homes England’s executive director Jo Nugent told a launch meeting today at UKREiiF in Leeds.

“We have a masterplan that we can all support, and we’ve checked the deliverability of that masterplan before we enter into an engagement with the private sector about how we can bring that forward.”

Asbestos removal works are currently under way at the former Intu shopping centre, which was part way through a refurbishment when the retail company went bust in 2020.

The project is backed with £3.4m in funding from the East Midlands combined authority, whose mayor said any developer eventually selected to lead the scheme would have to match public sector ambitions for the site.

Savills have been appointed as agents to handle expressions of interest from developers.

“Broad Marsh is at the heart of Nottingham, and the people of this city have the highest hopes for what its redevelopment will unlock,” she said.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock economic opportunity, create beautiful homes, and generate countless social and environmental benefits.

“We make no apologies for the level of our ambition because we want to work with a developer that meets this partnership where it is.”