Buyer confirmed for Nottingham's Broad Marsh

The former shopping centre is due to be turned into homes and offices

Government housing agency Homes England has been confirmed as the buyer of the Broad Marsh in Nottingham.

The former shopping centre has remained largely derelict since previous operators intu went into administration in 2020, and the site was handed back to the city council.

The Labour-run authority approved the sale earlier this month, but the buyer was not initially revealed due to commercial sensitivity.

Homes England has said it plans to transform the site into about 1,000 homes, alongside up to 20,000 square metres of retail, office and community space.

Homes, offices and commercial space are all planned for the site

The agency will also acquire land to the west of the "Green Heart" park, including a former college and an NCP car park, both of which are due to be demolished.

The value of the sale has not been disclosed, but the project is expected to create about 2,000 full-time jobs.

The wider site has been earmarked for redevelopment for decades, but successive plans have failed to materialise.

Demolition work on the remains of the shopping centre frame is now due to begin this summer.

Council documents published earlier this month stated the buyer will "begin active works on the project in the short-term" and aims to start construction in 2029-30.

The "Green Heart", which opened last year, had not been included in the sale and would continue to be maintained by the city council.

Homes England said the area's regeneration had taken a "major step forward"

Homes England chief executive Eamonn Boylan said it had been "working closely" with the council since 2022.

"Now that we have acquired the site, our teams will be working with partners to attract the right developer to deliver the new homes, employment spaces and leisure facilities necessary to create a vibrant city centre neighbourhood that the people of Nottingham can be proud of," he said.

Council leader Neghat Khan said it was "really positive news" for the city.

"We know that people have wanted to see progress here for a long time and we understand that it has been a frustration for some that this hasn't happened," she said.

"We're excited by the plans that Homes England has, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring these to fruition."