East Midlands Mayor says Nottingham is getting its mojo back

It has been a tough few years for the city.

Robin Hood Energy had dramatically collapsed like a pyramid of cards and the council’s declaration of effective bankruptcy in November 2023 was like a sour cherry on top of an out-of-date cake.

But there was still a chink in the horizon where some sunshine peeked through – and not long later, tides started to turn.

The Green Heart at Broad Marsh opened and was a resounding success, as it continues to be, and Nottingham Central Library, in the same area, replaced the old building in Angel Row.

Now, there is a new bridge over the River Trent to enjoy, a new community diagnostic centre to look forward to, and a vision for the next 25 years.

And Ms Ward (Lab) says that Nottingham’s trajectory is up.

She said: “I think the city is getting its mojo back.

“There’s so many exciting things going on.

"The development around Broad Marsh – not just the work that we’re doing with the city council and housing, but the NHS centre is opening in the not-too-distant future.

“There’s the bridge, but also, the conversations we’re having with partners on the Trent Sports District will be incredibly exciting for Nottingham and beyond.

“We’re looking at all sorts of other opportunities for investment – we’ve got the Nottingham War Rooms being developed and the homes on that.

"There’s so much going on.”

The Mayor’s Brownfield Housing Fund – using money provided by the Government – is pumping cash into projects to redevelop abandoned old buildings and areas that have been left disused – including the war rooms in Beechdale.

There are other schemes in the offing, too – such as a newly-announced plan for up to 500 homes in high-rise buildings in place of the old, dilapidated warehouses between Lady Bay bridge and 200 Degrees coffee roastery in Meadow Lane.

It’s part of the regeneration of the ‘waterside’ area of the city – near the new bridge over the river – which the Labour city council is looking to transform from a primarily industrial part of Nottingham to a modern residential one.

The mayor was asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) what she thought of the progress.

She replied: “Nottingham seems to have turned a corner and, you know, you can’t keep a city like Nottingham down.

"It’s a city of rebels and legends and they are coming to the fore and I think it’s Nottingham’s moment.

“It’s not just Nottingham – I think this is our region’s time to really flourish.”