Broadmarsh redevelopment: pop-ups will be allowed in surrounding Nottingham streets

Major venues up and down the country appear to be thriving and even some severely run-down city centres are being rebuilt or revitalised.

The latest city to commit to major redevelopment is Nottingham and its council plans to revitalise the area around partially-demolished Broadmarsh shopping centre.

The plan, now given the green light, is to allow pop-up businesses to open in surrounding streets by lifting current restrictions on trading.

Officials said the move could open up the area and provide a new space for events. Work on the scheme could start later this year.

This approach, says the council, would also give early adopters the opportunity to experiment with their offer and test how it might be incorporated into the site in the longer-term.

This early activation aims to drive footfall to parts of the site that have been underused and overlooked but have now benefited from extensive regeneration.

Streets including Sussex Street, near the new Nottingham College building, Collin Street opposite the new Central Library and Lister Gate have been lined up for the proposal.

The council said a million people passed through the area, near to the railway station and tram network, each year and it “wanted to give them a reason to stay longer rather than just walk through”.

Council leader David Mellen said: "We believe there is a very exciting opportunity to use parts of the site in the short and medium term for a variety of activities, as part of the first phase of the ongoing transformation of the area.

“We'd like to hear people's views on this and hope that if there is general agreement, we can move this forward before the end of the year.”