Work to bulldoze 1970s office block begins

The former Marsh insurance building is being demolished

Work to knock down a city centre office block has started, developers have confirmed.

The former Marsh insurance Victoria House site, based in Queens Road, Norwich, has been bought by residential investment firm Zive Capital.

Staff were relocated in 2022 to Broadland Business Park on outskirts of the city, and the building remained empty ever since.

In a statement, Zive Capital said it "plans to redevelop the site".

Norwich City Council gave the go-ahead in September for the demolition of the 1970s building.

The developer said it would carry out "extensive" consultation with the local community and interested parties to shape its proposals before it submitted a planning application for the brownfield site.

It said it wanted to construct a "mixed use" development with "industry-leading environmental and design credentials".

"Zive Capital is committed to keeping the local community informed and involved throughout this process," it said.

"To this end, demolition contractors will be sending out a newsletter to local residents and setting up a community WhatsApp group in the coming days.

"We are committed to a sustainable redevelopment on this site, allowing us to reduce operational carbon levels whilst also reusing and recycling the existing building. All trees on the site will be protected."