Broad Marsh shopping centre to be demolished after £3 million investment

More than £3 million is set to be invested in Nottingham's Broad Marsh to demolish what is left of the forming shopping centre in a major boost to the project following years of uncertainty.

The funding is set to be approved at a meeting of the East Midlands Combined County Authority on Monday. Half of the site has already been demolished to make way for a plant-rich habitat.

The vision for the remaining site is for 1,600 new homes and 20,000 square metres of office, commercial and leisure space, creating around 2,000 jobs.

The development has been the subject of three failed bids to the previous Conservative government's Levelling Up Fund. Uncertainty has surrounded the project ever since the last rejection, with the city council acknowledging that it would not be able to fund the project itself given its financial difficulties.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has now announced that it could fund the project to the tune of £3.392 million.

The EMCCA is led by the first ever East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward and was set up with millions in government funding to make local decisions and invest in local projects. Its proposed funding for the Broad Marsh was announced on Wednesday (December 11) along with several Derbyshire projects and £3 million of spending in Bassetlaw to move developments forward at three former coal-fired power stations.

Funding for all the projects, collectively worth up to £9.5 million, is set to be approved at a meeting of the EMCCA in Mansfield on Monday (December 16). Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: "These projects have been chosen for funding this year because their delivery will help boost the region's economy. They will create jobs, help towards building homes, boosting local businesses and manufacturing and produce cleaner energy.

"We want to support and enable them to continue their work and help us towards achieving our vision for an East Midlands full of opportunities, from having good jobs, quality education, and thriving local economies. We want to invest in vital projects, we can't achieve the vision on our own, we need to work with partners across the region to invest in the right projects, projects that will make a real difference and this funding is just the start for the East Midlands."

Describing its planned investment, the EMCCA says: "Up to £3.392 million for Broad Marsh in Nottingham to carry out demolition of part of the frame on the land near to the newly opened Green Heart. This will be an important step in helping to bring forward work on Broad Marsh which will, when complete, deliver 1,600 homes and create just over 2,000 jobs, whilst providing a wide range of facilities, entertainment and attractions."

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