Half-demolished Broadmarsh Shopping Centre: "It's a mess and it's bad"

The site's been described as a 'gateway to the city', but for now - it is still a demolition site.

Millions of pounds of regeneration work at the half-demolished Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham, could now linger on until at least next spring. 

People in the city have been promised new shops, restaurants and pedestrianised streets, but say it's currently a blight on the landscape. They're calling for answers on why more money isn't being spent on finishing the long-running work.

One resident told ITV Central that she gets lost in the city, whilst another said his fond memories of the area as a child, are long gone.

"I've lived here 25 years and I don't know my way around" she said. "I was just lost now".

"It's bad, its a mess and it's bad, return it to the way it was"

Another resident said "I remember coming down here when I was a child, and it was a really nice part of the town to visit. Now you come to Nottingham on the train and you come up here and it's just horrible to be honest with you. It desperately needs something doing with it".

When demolition began in 2019 there were promises of an entertainment and shopping venue. But, last June the company behind them - INTU - went into administration, and since then it's been unclear what will happen to the space.

"It is the first thing that the visitors see when they leave the train station so it's a huge impact for them, and it stays with them". - Kinga Kapias, Marketing Nottingham

She says "after they leave we want the Broadmarsh site to be transformed into something that will inspire visitors to come back, and to extend their stay - and to tell their family and friends about."

A bid for 20 million pounds of government funding to be able to demolish the whole site - hasn't been successful, there's only enough money to demolish the western end.

The council did get 18 million pounds from the levelling up fund - to improve things like roads and pavements.

The leader of Nottingham City Council says that the site is an "enormous opportunity" for investors.

Cllr David Mellen told ITV Central "Broadmarsh shopping centre space is an enormous opportunity, for both public and private sector investors to do something different in a city centre, to help develop part of a city centre post covid- and perhaprs reflect the fact we don't need as many shops as we did once because people have changed their shopping habits"

The council's working on a new vision for the site - which will be unveiled in December  - the hope is that will attract investors.