Future of huge Nottingham regeneration project thrown into doubt as council loses appeal

Nottingham City Council has lost its bid to try and overturn a decision to grant listed status to a key city centre building.

Grade II listed status was placed on Nottingham’s former fire and police station just days before the council’s planning committee were due to vote on a major redevelopment of the building. The move blocked the plans, which includes almost 1,000 student flats on the site of the former Central Police and Fire Station.

Ancillary plans include a gym, a dance studio, co-study spaces, a cinema and a games room, as well as a public facing Market Food Hall with capacity for around 500 diners.

After the Department for Media, Culture and Sport rejected the city council’s appeal, the plans to demolish the building have now been scrapped according to reports by the BBC, throwing the neighbouring Guildhall redevelopment into doubt. The council says it will now “review its options” for the entire site.

Vita Group submitted plans last August to transform the former fire and police stations. The scheme was due to be voted on by Nottingham City Council’s planning committee on Wednesday January 18 – but the planning chief’s report was withdrawn at the last moment.

The police and fire station have been vacant for around seven years.

Vita had said that the development was designed to sit “sensitively” on Shakespeare Street, North Church Street and South Sherwood Street and would complement the existing plans already approved for a hotel on the site.