A plan to restore a police and fire station building from the 1930s and transform it into student accommodation is expected to be given the green light.
In 2023, plans to demolish the former police headquarters and central fire station, fronting Shakespeare Street in Nottingham city centre, were shelved after the building was given Grade II listed protected status at the eleventh hour.
It was protected just days before the plans were due to be approved by city councillors, and an appeal against the listing failed – sending the developers back to the drawing board.
New plans to retain the police headquarters and central fire station emerged in September this year, and they have been tipped for approval at a planning meeting on Wednesday (17 December).
Under the new plans, the building would become home to 248 students, and it would be complemented by an 18-storey, 364-bed tower block.
A publicly accessible food hall has also been planned at the base of the tower.
The original plans had drawn intense criticism from the Nottingham Civic Society.
Ian Wells, vice-chair and treasurer of NCS, said the organisation finds the new plans acceptable.
“They had to look at different ways of giving the building a future, which is encouraging,” he said.
“It is an unfortunate necessity, the tower; we are looking at how it is going to affect the city’s character. We knew something was going to go up there.
“We welcome the future the rest of it is going to be getting, and it will be largely unchanged.”
Developer Vita Nottingham Guildhall Limited has submitted the new plans.
The site features several notable buildings, including the Grade II-listed Guildhall, the E.ON building facing Burton Street, a central courtyard block, and a Grade II-listed fire station house facing South Sherwood Street.
A rooftop extension to the police and fire station has been proposed to create a further 51 bed spaces.
The fire station house, which dates back even further to the 1880s, will also be retained and restored under the plans.
At the base of the tower block, a two-storey podium would connect to the adjoining fire station house, providing amenity space.
A new formal entrance and arrival space will be created at the podium and linked to a publicly accessible food hall.
A 1920s extension to the rear of the Guildhall’s east wing will require demolition under the plans, but this section of the protected building “does not contribute to the special architectural or historic interest of the Guildhall”, the plans say.
Mr Wells added: “The rooftop extension should be discreet enough for anyone to notice.
“In a way, this building is a Second World War memorial to those in the fire service who died during the war.
“It was built at a time of great civic building in the 1930s. It is one of the high points of our culture, so it is good that it’s going to have a future after all.”
The council’s planners added: “The proposed redevelopment demonstrates a carefully considered approach to heritage-led regeneration.
“Although certain demolitions and alterations would cause less than substantial harm, this is justified by the retention of significant architectural features, the delivery of high-quality design, and the public benefits arising from the scheme.
“The new tower, while introducing a bold contemporary element, has been designed to respond to the architectural language of the adjacent heritage assets. Landscaping proposals further enhance the setting of the listed buildings, adding biodiversity and public amenity in a manner that respects the historic character of the site.”
