Conservationists welcome former police and fire HQ's new listed status

Developers drew up plans to bulldoze the building and replace it with 900 student flats

Conservationists have welcomed a decision to list a former police and fire headquarters which had been earmarked for demolition.

Nottingham Civic Society said the granting of Grade II listed status would protect the complex in Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, in the future.

Developers drew up plans to flatten the building and construct student flats.

Historic England said the station was impressive.

Executive chair of the civic society Hilary Silvester said: "We are very pleased, but not surprised, Historic England recommended the police and fire station for listing.

"It will provide more protection for what is a very important building, both in terms of what it does for the streetscape but also because it is of importance to the city's history.

"Historic England will have noted the real concern when the building was at risk of being pulled down."

'Needs sprucing up'

The headquarters was constructed between 1938 and 1941 but closed in 2016 and has been disused since.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport agreed to list it in January, on the advice of Historic England.

The move prompted a proposal to demolish it and replace it with 900 student flats to be pulled from the agenda of a Nottingham City Council planning meeting.

The council, which had recommended the approval of the scheme, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it would "take stock" of the situation before commenting.

Ms Silvester said: "We do recognise the building cannot stay as it is but we would like to see it redeveloped internally, perhaps as apartments or offices, while sprucing up the outside."

Historic England said the station had "an impressive and well-realised design" adding: "Despite its apparent simplicity, the building is skilfully composed with subtle detailing and occasional flourishes, including striking art deco corner entrance bays with ornamented doorways and emblematic carved figures.

"The design and construction of the building is illustrative of the unique political and economic context of the pre-war period during which it was built."