Councillors reject plans for Nottingham Grade A office scheme
Plans for a 50,000 sq ft Grade A office scheme next to Nottingham railway station have been rejected by the City Council’s planning committee.
The building, at 11 Station Street, had been expected to be given the go-ahead after the Council’s planning bosses recommended it for approval, but architects must now redesign parts of the office development before new plans are re-submitted by developer Bildurn.
Councillor Michael Edwards of the Bridge ward said: “We want something beautiful,” reports the Nottingham Post, while Nottingham Civic Society – a regular thorn in the side of the city’s developers – said: ““There does not seem to have been any attempt to to consider refurbishment of the front range of the existing buildings to retain and incorporate them into the new office development on the vacant land behind, which would have helped to mediate an appropriate scale for the new development, more in keeping with the scale of the historic fabric surrounding the site, and the Hopkinson shop in particular.”
Architect David Campbell from Nottingham-based Franklin Ellis Architects, is the project architect for the scheme. Last July, he said that the design specification of the offices which are expected to attract interest from businesses across the country due to its close proximity to Nottingham train station.
He added: “The location for this scheme was the primary design driver for us as it’s based in the station conservation area and our plans mean it will have a high quality public face onto Station Street.
“During the design phase, we were keen to respect the scale, rhythm and materiality of the surrounding buildings and historic streetscape in this area, whilst trying to create a high quality and contemporary finish to the elevations through the use of clean lines.
“The use of continuous glass façade at ground level looking onto the newly pedestrianised Station Street, introduces a new, open and dynamic section to the street scene, which was previously void of activity.”
