Cold War bunker redevelopment set for approval

The site in Beechdale was built during the Cold War

Plans to redevelop a 1950s Cold War bunker in Nottingham and build a new housing development around the site are set to be given the go-ahead.

A total of 104 affordable homes are planned around the Grade II-listed Nottingham War Rooms in Beechdale.

According to the plans, a space for youth charity Base 51 would be created within the bunker, in addition to a community health and leisure facility, conferencing facilities, and space for food and drink outlets.

Nottingham City Council's planning committee is being recommended to approve the development when it meets on 19 November.

The former BBC studio would be kept and refurbished in line with its original appearance

The bunker, known locally as 'The Kremlin', was one of 16 war rooms designed nationally in the early 1950s in order to provide protected government accommodation during a nuclear attack.

According to the planning documents, the building was reconfigured to create a regional seat of government, amid the development of more "destructive bombs".

It was designed to accommodate more residents from nuclear fallout rather than the blast itself.

The site was decommissioned and repurposed as a storage facility for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food before it closed its doors in the 1990s.

The bunker spans three floors and features a former BBC studio designed to deliver news broadcasts at the time.

The old BBC broadcasting studio would be kept and refurbished in line with its original appearance as it is a "highly significant heritage asset", according to planning papers.

Plans for the project were submitted by developer Hamilton Russell Harperwood, along with East Midlands Housing Association.

The rest of the site around the bunker would accommodate 104 affordable homes operated by East Midlands Housing Association.

The homes would include six one-bedroom properties, 60 two-bedroom homes and 38 three-bedroom dwellings.

The documents state: "The building itself currently languishes in a derelict and unused state, having been obsolete for several decades. In its current form, it offers no discernible benefit to the local area.

"This redevelopment project aims to transform this neglected space into a thriving hub that contributes positively to the community.

"The existing fabric of the building is ageing and suffering from moisture ingress. It requires complete renovation, refurbishment, and reconfiguration to provide it with a new lease of life and to preserve it as a heritage asset for future generations."