Nottingham’s biggest regeneration scheme for decades will begin in earnest in the coming weeks following the granting of planning approval for the first phase of The Island Quarter.
The plans for Canal Turn received planning consent yesterday from Nottingham City Council, with work scheduled to start on site in November.
The approved phase will include a three-storey 2,000 sqm pavilion on the waterfront, featuring two restaurants, circa 500 sqm of events space with panoramic views and a large rooftop terrace, forming the opening phase of development on the 40-acre site.
The plans also feature provision for a bandstand and a substantial area of new, attractive public realm – all of which will open up the canal basin area, enhancing one of Nottingham’s most under-utilised assets.
The first phase will also include extensive improvement works to the canal at the London Road end of the site, which will help form a focal point for The Island Quarter.
Christopher Ware, property director of Conygar, the developer behind the scheme, said: “We are delighted that planning for Canal Turn has been granted. We’ve worked closely with Nottingham City Council to progress the application and ensure that we can get started promptly on what is a landmark site not just for the city, but the region as a whole.
“Canal Turn marks the first stage of a development that will create a unique, year-round destination for the city, as well as a thriving and vibrant new community for Nottingham.”
Having been granted outline planning consent for the former Boots Island site in April 2019, the team behind the development worked closely with the city’s planning and regeneration team on the Section 106 agreement, which was signed off earlier this year.
Richard Watson, director of Conygar Nottingham, said: “Throughout this process, we’ve been committed to creating a development that reflects Nottingham and enhances its credentials as a first-rate city.
“We’ve worked closely with the city and the design team to put together these plans for a development, which will be of huge benefit to the local economy and will create thousands of jobs during the build phase and beyond.”
The overall plans for the site, which has been derelict for many years, will bring new homes, grade A office space, creative spaces, a lifestyle hotel, PRS apartments and co-working space, a ‘linear’ park and vibrant community and event space as well as student accommodation to the city.
Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s really pleasing to see not just new developments taking place in Nottingham, but major developments like The Island Quarter and on such a huge, transformative scale.
“Not many places have the opportunity to create a new addition to their city like this, with 40 acres of land prime for redevelopment so close to the city centre. It will become a major asset to Nottingham, connecting nearby neighbourhoods to the city centre through an area long overdue for redevelopment.
“The plans to provide a mix of places to live, work and play will perfectly complement the other redevelopments across the southside area, and hopefully this first phase is a sign of the quality of the developments to come on site. We’re pleased to be working with Conygar on creating this new space for our city and like many others, I look forward to watching it change before us.”
