Drivers are being reminded that significant changes to Nottingham’s road network come into force soon, with plans to pedestrianise Collin Street and other parts of the Broadmarsh area due to begin in August.
The whole scheme has won Government financial backing with the City Council successfully securing £20m Transforming Cities funding for the ambitious public realm scheme.
The changes mean that drivers who usually use Collin Street and Canal Street will need to use the Southern Relief Route from Sunday 9th August once the road changes are in effect.
Once the road changes are in place work will begin to pedestrianise Collin Street and part of Carrington Street, next to the proposed new library, and transform the southern part of Middle Hill and the area around the new City College and establish a new environment on Canal Street to facilitate the future opening of the new bus station and car park
Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Public Transport, said: “These are dramatic changes to the roads in Nottingham which we have won £20m of Government grant to complete – but all for the better to meet our carbon neutral targets and to create a great new environment for local residents and visitors to the city. The Bus Station, close to Nottingham Station and tram stops, is in a key location and will provide excellent connectivity for citizens and visitors. The changes also significantly improve people’s ability to enjoy and cross the city centre by bike or on foot.
“Local people have been incredibly patient while we undertake these transformations, and the changes in the area already show that our plans are drastically improving the Broadmarsh area. We are letting people know about these changes as early as possible to keep the public informed so they can begin to plan their journeys better with these changes in mind – changes which I can’t wait to be completed given the improvements it will bring to our city centre.”
The redevelopment of the whole Broadmarsh area will drastically improve the city centre once completed, with a new Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station, Central Library, Nottingham Castle visitor experience and Nottingham College City Hub and reimagined public realm, along with a new Broadmarsh Centre development, which is currently being considered since receivers handed the site back to Nottingham City Council.
The new Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station, due to open in 2021, is already changing the city centre for the better, with cladding work underway as a marked improvement to the previous Car Park and Bus Station building, with a new Central Library and retail outlets also due to open on Carrington Street in 2021. Nottingham College’s City Hub and Nottingham Castle, also due to open in 2021, will bring more footfall to the area as 2,000 new students a year and thousands of visitors to the world class tourist attraction at Nottingham Castle come to the city.
These schemes will create an open, vibrant, welcoming space to the city for anyone arriving by bus, tram, train, car, bike or on foot. The new spaces and traffic reduction will deliver vastly improved pedestrian environments and will include dedicated cycle facilities on Canal Street. The work will also provide a great new public space between the new college, Broadmarsh Centre, Nottingham Central Library and Nottingham Castle, with spaces for outdoor seating, food and drink in Carrington Street and areas for children to play creating a better atmosphere to sit and dwell during the day.
This will mean the areas connecting these major new developments can be turned into a bright, tree-lined space with high quality paving with landscaping, public art, and outdoor cafés, transforming them into safe and attractive spaces for people to enjoy. Views to the Castle will be preserved, with new places for people to sit and relax, space for art boxes and words in the paving, celebrating both the new Central Library and Nottingham’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature, included as part of the design.
The Sussex Street area, between Middle Hill and the new Nottingham College City Hub, has been inaccessible and unwelcoming for some time, and will be transformed into a brighter, amphitheatre style space, with steps from Middle Hill to Sussex Street and an environment where people can relax and play, with new spaces for activity and exercise for young people, including skateboarding. These public spaces will be capable of hosting major events in the day and night, helping to further boost the city’s reputation for hosting top-class entertainment and activities.
FAQS about the Broadmarsh road changes can be found on the Nottingham City Council website.