Willmott Dixon to deliver Nottingham’s new Green Heart

Willmott Dixon has been confirmed as the main contractor to deliver the next phase of Nottingham City Council’s Broad Marsh Green Heart regeneration scheme.

Procured through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading procurement specialists, the Green Heart is a key element of the vision for Nottingham’s 20-acre Broad Marsh area, transforming a site that was previously a large shopping centre before it was demolished by Willmott Dixon in 2022, working alongside multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard.

Work will commence this autumn with Willmott Dixon already on-site nearby building a new public space outside the new Central Library.

Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Nottingham’s Broad Marsh Green Heart vision is a regeneration project with valuable green space at its core.  Green space is important for the beating heart of all urban environments, and it brings major benefits too, according to the World Economic Forum’s ‘BiodiverCities by 2030’ report which looked at the importance of changing the relationship between nature and our towns and cities.

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“Public realm space like this is also one of the key ingredients of Willmott Dixon’s blueprint for urban growth https://www.willmottdixon.co.uk/what-we-do/blueprint-for-growth.

“Having been responsible for the original shopping centre demolition in 2021-2022 and sharing insight on this complicated, historic site with interested parties throughout the process, we’re excited to be maintaining a role in the transformation and using our skills to deliver the next phase.

“As a local business with a strong Nottingham presence, we’re looking forward to seeing an important area of the city re-emerge and provide benefits for people that live and work here – creating a new legacy to be proud of.”

The Green Heart introduces green, ecologically rich areas and diverse natural spaces providing habitats and food for wildlife, forming a green infrastructure network linking the Broad Marsh area from Nottingham Castle through to the 36-acre Island Quarter regeneration site and beyond. 

A key aim is to put the ‘marsh’ back to the Broad Marsh, introducing new urban wetlands on land that was once a marshland ecosystem to capture, slow and filter rainwater, potentially preventing flooding and creating pockets of biodiversity. A long bench will arc through the planting and marsh allowing people to sit, enjoy and experience nature.

Leader of Nottingham City Council, Cllr David Mellen, said: “More green space was by far the most popular response when we asked people what they would like to see happen around Broad Marsh as part of the huge Big Conversation engagement exercise the council ran a couple of years ago.

“Anyone who has visited the area recently will see how much it has changed with lots of greenery, pedestrianised areas and seating. The creation of the Green Heart will take the transformation of Broad Marsh a major step further and be a beautiful addition to the city centre which is unique to Nottingham. I’m particularly pleased that Collin Street will be a family-friendly space that people can enjoy right outside the new Central Library.”

The regeneration scheme is being accelerated by SCAPE Construction, a direct award framework designed to drive collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings on construction projects. Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive at SCAPE, said: “It is fantastic to be supporting the next phase of this iconic regeneration scheme, with a nature-first design that will encourage rewilding and improve biodiversity.

“With a laser focus on sustainability, the Green Heart will create a vibrant, unique space that reflects the changing needs of society for urban, city centre locations. Providing accessible green space is not only essential for supporting the health and wellbeing of Nottingham’s residents and visitors but it also plays a key role in helping Nottingham City Council achieve their target of becoming net zero by 2028.” The design of the Green Heart is unique to Nottingham and has been developed by Townshend Landscape Architects along with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust with Ares supporting the contractor on the landscape design for the scheme.