Anglia Square demolition due to begin next week

Anglia Square is now mostly made up of closed shops, including the former Iceland store

The demolition of an ageing shopping centre is due to start next week.

Norwich City Council is set to announce the award of a demolition contract for the razing of Anglia Square.

The area has recently become a ghost town after traders moved to new locations, and work to strip out the buildings' interiors is scheduled to start next week.

The council paid £5.6m to buy the complex so it could be revamped as part of a major regeneration project with 1,100 new homes and shops, leisure facilities and offices.

Anglia Square, the adjoining offices and a multi-storey car park will be dismantled

The authority was handed £34m in government funding to buy the site and pay for the demolition work, which is expected to finish by March 2026, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It was reported by Construction Enquirer that DSM Demolition had been awarded a £5.9m contract for the nine-month programme.

A council spokesperson said: "We are expecting work to begin next week and will be working towards demolition works concluding by end of March."

Carli Harper, the council's cabinet member for finance and major projects, said: "We're really pleased with the interest we've had in Anglia Square so far and the contract award marks a major milestone in this flagship project for the city."

Norwich City Council recently unveiled its designs for a new shopping area under the Magdalen Street flyover

Traders have already moved out of Anglia Square ahead of the work getting under way.

They will be offered a new home adjacent to Anglia Square, near the flyover on Magdalen Street.

Plans have been submitted for the "box park", which would consist of 80 shipping containers.