Broadmarsh

The Broadmarsh Centre

Entrance to the Broadmarsh Centre from Low Pavement
Location Nottingham City Centre, England
Coordinates 52°57′0″N 1°08′55″W / 52.95000°N 1.14861°W / 52.95000; -1.14861Coordinates: 52°57′0″N 1°08′55″W / 52.95000°N 1.14861°W / 52.95000; -1.14861
Address Lister Gate
Opening date 1972
No. of stores and services 55 [1]
No. of anchor tenants 5
Total retail floor area 45,000 m² (484,000 ft²)
No. of floors 2
Website www.intu.co.uk/broadmarsh

Broadmarsh (also known as The Broadmarsh Centre, and rebranded in 2013 as Intu Broadmarsh), is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England, owned by Nottingham City Council. Opening in 1975, the centre has 55 stores and a total retail floor space of 45,000 m² (484,000 ft²). The shopping centre is attached to Broadmarsh bus station, one of Nottingham's two bus stations.

History

The shopping centre was built at the beginning of the 1970s, in an area that was historically boggy ground, on the outskirts of the medieval town (hence the name). It was once occupied by the Franciscan Friary known as "Greyfriars, Nottingham", which was dissolved in 1539.[2] The area was heavily developed between the 16th and 20th centuries. Despite its historic interest and much local opposition, all the buildings were demolished to accommodate the new shopping centre.

A former tannery within the caves under the shopping centre

During preparation of the site, many caves and cellars dug into the soft sandstone foundations of the city were rediscovered (both ancient and more recent). The caves were to be destroyed as part of the construction, however, activism from residents and historians allowed the caves to be preserved. Some are now open to the public as part of the City of Caves museum beneath the shopping centre.

Cafe beside the centre entrance

The Centre, which opened to the public in 1975,[3] was originally intended to be an Arndale Centre, and the associated parking structure – once voted the "ugliest building in Nottingham" – is still known as the Arndale Car Park. The centre improved with a major cosmetic refurbishment in 1988.[4]

Redevelopment

Nottingham City Council, owners of the leasehold on the centre, have been attempting to encourage development at Broadmarsh for "almost two decades".[5] Their 2002 development brief[6] called for a development that "respects the urban grain of the City Centre, with clear streets and urban blocks of buildings to provide for legibility, separate identity and future flexibility" with a clear north/south route linking Nottingham's Old Market Square and railway station, stating "This route must take the form of a pedestrianised public street."

In November 2002, plans to demolish the existing shopping centre, car park and the adjoining Broadmarsh bus station were approved.[7]

In April 2007, a near identical plan to that proposed in 2002 was approved. a three-year redevelopment plan was approved. The scheme would also involve the demolition of much of the centre, the car park, and the adjoining bus station.[8] The redevelopment work, which had been planned to start in 2008, was estimated to cost £400 million and would have created 400 stores, 136,000 m2 of shopping space. However it was not undertaken.

In November 2011, it was announced that Capital Shopping Centres (CSC), owners of the nearby Victoria Shopping Centre, had bought Westfield's stake in Broadmarsh.[9][10] The purchase prompted an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission, who were concerned the company's monopoly over the city's shopping centres could negatively impact competition.[11]

In February 2013 CSC changed its name to Intu Properties plc.[12] The new owners wished to start an already planned development of the Victoria Centre, however, Nottingham City Council have insisted Broadmarsh must be their "priority"; the council offering £50 million towards its redevelopment.[13] The deputy leader of Nottingham City Council said the council would withhold planning permission for the development of the Victoria Centre until they "see bulldozers going into the Broadmarsh Centre".[5]

A new plan for a limited redevelopment of some of the centre received planning approval in June 2015.[14] The plans include the retention of most of the fabric of the 70s mall and existing tenants including Boots, Wilko's and BrightHouse with some cosmetic updating. A nine-screen cinema will appear at a remodelled south-eastern corner, along with new leisure and restaurant spaces. Drury Walk will be rebuilt as "Bridlesmith Square" providing a new external area, outside the intu Broadmarsh centre, targeted at upmarket brands. Counter to the 2002 Development Brief, the new walkway between the city centre and station will be within the existing enclosed shopping mall, under a new glass roof.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Our Stores". The Westfield Group. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  2. ↑ William Page, ed. (1910). 'Friaries: Franciscan friars of Nottingham', A History of the County of Nottingham: Volume 2. Victoria County History. pp. 144–145.
  3. ↑ Broad Marsh and Narrow Marsh - The Story of a Nottingham Community - Nottinghamshire County Council
  4. ↑ "Broadmarsh". Shopping in Nottingham. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Nottingham's Broadmarsh shopping centre 'risk'". BBC News. 3 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Broadmarsh Development Brief 2002". Nottingham Insight.
  7. ↑ "City gets new centre". BBC News. 21 November 2002. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  8. ↑ http://plan4.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/WAM/pas/showCaseFile.do?councilName=Nottingham+City+Council&appNumber=07/00117/PVAR3%5B%5D
  9. ↑ "Westfield sells Nottingham's Broadmarsh shopping centre". BBC News. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Westfield to sell Broadmarsh Centre". this is Nottingham. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  11. ↑ "Probe into Nottingham Broadmarsh shopping centre deal". BBC News. 10 January 2012.
  12. ↑ Monaghan, Angela (15 January 2013). "Capital Shopping Centres rebrands as Intu and launches fashion website". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Nottingham's Broadmarsh Centre deal to transform city". BBC News. 11 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "Nottingham's Broadmarsh centre revamp plans approved". BBC News. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Caves and leisure for new-look Broadmarsh Centre". Nottingham Post. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
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