Progress on redeveloping Nottingham's vacant Guildhall has been described as "very slow" after a change to its listing status put previous plans up in the air. The Grade-II listed site, on the corner of Burton Street and South Sherwood Street, was set to be transformed into a luxury hotel. The adjoining police and fire station, built in the 1930s before being closed in 2013, was set to be demolished in favour of student accommodation.
It is that element of the plans in particular that were jeopardised by a 2023 announcement that the police and fire station was also being given Grade-II listed status. Despite the change having "significantly reduced" how much of the complex can be developed, the council agreed the sale of the site to the original buyer, Miller Birch, in February 2024. With the year nearly out though, Nottingham City Council's leader says any further progress could be a long time in coming.
Councillor Neghat Khan said: "It's progressing, but it's very slow to be honest. We had a conversation about the listed building and again, they were talking about a public consultation before they put an application in." Councillor Khan has said that plans for the former Debenhams building in the Old Market Square should be set out in early 2025.
Asked if she could put a similar timeframe on the Guildhall plans, the city leader said: "That's probably harder to say than the Debenhams one if I'm honest. With the listed status on it, it's looking at what they want to do with t.