Just a stone’s throw from Nottingham city centre, a new neighbourhood is starting to emerge from what was once mainly industrial land.
A number of new residential developments have already been built in Nottingham’s Waterside, with a steer from the City Council’s planning guidance, which sets out the council’s vision for the area, Now, with approval for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent and a blueprint for further enhancement of the area, more changes are on the horizon.
It has been a long-standing council ambition for the Waterside Regeneration Area between Trent Bridge and Colwick Park to become a new sustainable community. The 250-acre area along the banks of the River Trent connects the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods including Sneinton and the Meadows.
Transformation of the Waterside began back in 2015 with the creation of Trent Basin. The award-winning development of low-energy, sustainable homes and apartments overlooking an historic inland dock, has acted as a catalyst for investment and for other developers to build hundreds of new homes.
Trent Basin is being built in phases and, when complete, will comprise 300 low-energy homes. Phase one and two are already complete, and a planning application for the future phases was recently submitted to the city’s Planning Authority. The proposals for future phases at Trent Basin highlight the continuing confidence developers have in Nottingham and the Waterside area.
Having been named as a finalist for the ‘Best Urban Development (Outside London)’ category in this year’s nationally-recognised Inside Housing Development Awards, Pelham Waterside sits to the east of the regeneration zone and is close to Colwick Park. Owned by Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA), the development has 73 properties including one and two-bed apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses. NCHA also has plans to provide 82 affordable homes (subject to planning permission) off Daleside Road at its junction with Trent Lane, providing a mix of flats, detached, semi-detached and terrace houses.
Work is also under way on 95 homes and apartments at Trent Bridge Quays, close to Trent Bridge, at Meadow Lane, overlooking the River Trent. Between Trent Basin and Nottingham Racecourse, The Yacht Club Riverside development, built in phases, will offer 81 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
As well as high-quality new homes, the City Council’s master plan also includes improvements to public spaces and the preservation and enhancement to the unique riverside habitat and green spaces. More recently, proposals for a new Waterside Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists across the River Trent, funded through the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund have been unveiled.
The new bridge, the location of which was approved by the City Council’s Executive Board last week for planning submissions to be made, will offer a huge boost to the routes available for cyclists, pedestrians and runners, providing a quieter, safer option for commuter and leisure trips between the Waterside regeneration area on the north bank of the river and Lady Bay on the south.
Councillor Linda Woodings, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing at Nottingham City Council, said: “We have long-held ambitions for the development of the Waterside area. The prime central location provides a unique opportunity to create a new residential community with its own identity and character.
“We’re proud to see that our vision for the Waterside, which was adopted as part of the planning process a couple of years ago, is providing guidance to developers and investors on what we would like to see developed, where and how. This includes high-quality new homes, new transport links, and preserving and enhancing the unique riverside habitat and green space.
“What began a few years ago with the development of Trent Basin, which has acted as a catalyst for other investors and developers, continues to transform the area in line with our ambitions. Along with redevelopment at The Island Quarter and Broad Marsh, the scale of redevelopment taking place could help raise the profile and image of the whole city, whilst enhancing the reputation of Nottingham as a place to live, work and visit.”