Nottingham Guildhall and police HQ sale decision to be 'made shortly' after last attempt blocked

A decision will be made soon over the sale of Nottingham’s Guildhall and former police and fire headquarters after a previous attempt was thwarted at the last minute. The Grade-II listed Guildhall, built in 1887, forms part of a huge city centre site owned by Nottingham City Council, which also includes the former police and fire headquarters on Shakespeare Street.

There were plans to turn the Guildhall into a hotel, while the police and fire station was to be demolished to make way for a large student accommodation complex. However, just before a sale was complete, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) protected the police and fire headquarters by granting it Grade-II listed status on the recommendation of Historic England and Nottingham Civic Society.

Although this delighted city conservationists, this new status scuppered any plans for the demolition of the building so that developer Vita Group could build more than 900 student flats. Nottingham City Council and the prospective buyers appealed the decision, but it was rejected – leaving the future of the long-vacant buildings uncertain.

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After months of negotiation, executive councillor Steve Battlemuch, who is the city council’s portfolio holder for property, has now signalled a decision on the sale will be made soon. “The council continues to progress matters with the purchaser and a decision regarding the sale will be made shortly,” Mr Battlemuch said.

Guildhall Place sign in Shakespeare Street, Nottingham city centre

Previously Mr Battlemuch explained Historic England’s listing of the police station would lower the price of a deal, stating: “That [listed status] makes property sales harder, not impossible, but harder to sell.” The millions of pounds raised by any sale would help reduce the council’s debt, reducing debt repayments in the long-term.

It is not currently known what plans the buyers will have for the large city centre plot. Conservationists have long argued the site could be adapted and used without reducing the Art Deco station to rubble, with Nottingham Civic Society’s Hilary Silvester previously warning the historic building could not be sacrificed to speed up the area’s redevelopment.

The police station, which was designed to be bomb-proof and had air raid shelters set up underneath it during the Second World War, was declared financially unviable in 2013 by then Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping. The landmark’s heritage list entry describes the building as an “impressive and well-realised design” with “subtle detailing and occasional flourishes” including striking Art Deco corner entrance bays with ornamented doorways and emblematic carved figures.