Revised plans for Anglia Square.
Revamp plans for Norwich’s Anglia Square edge nearer
by DAN GRIMMER
Friday, March 9, 2012
6:30 AM
The long-awaited redevelopment of a Norwich shopping centre is edging nearer, but the company behind the plans has warned it could still be some time before work begins.
Plans for a major revamp of Anglia Square have been in the pipeline for years, but progress on the facelift has been hampered by the recession.
Developer Centenary Ashcroft secured permission for a multi-million pound regeneration of the 1960s complex in 2008.
But, in January last year, Centenary Ashcroft lodged revised plans for the scheme with Norwich City Council.
The plans include 178 new homes, a public square, new shops, restaurants, cafes and a healthcare centre, while Gildengate House, the office block over the entrance to the car park, will be updated to provide modern offices.
In June last year the revised plans came before the city council’s planning committee, where it was agreed to give the head of planning, in consultation with the committee’s chairman and vice chairman, powers to fine tune and approve the application.
Those talks are still ongoing, with the legal agreements yet to be signed, although Ranald Phillips, director of Centenary Ashcroft said: “We are very close to finalising the planning consent. We would like to be on site later this year, but it is difficult to read the market.
“Traders are still licking their wounds after the economic slowdown, so we are watching the markets.”
An exhibition about the plans for Anglia Square, which have been drawn up by b3 architects, was recently displayed at Bidwells offices in Norwich.
The city council has long been keen to see new life breathed into the area around Anglia Square. A strategy known as the northern area action plan has been developed, which will be used as a blueprint when determining planning applications in the area.
Work has also been done on the so-called St Augustine’s gyratory scheme, which has made a number of streets close to Anglia Square one-way.
• Are you keen to see the revamp of Anglia Square? Or do you have a soft spot for the 1960s architecture? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE or email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk
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22 comments
Agree with "red".....Its not NCC that decides but County...so lets not post absolute rubbish, Some posters on here are only out to slaughter NCC facts first please................mind you it is a bit of a 5h1t hole though.
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Sidney
Saturday, March 10, 2012
What we need is an alternative set of "Welcome to Norwich" signs. A Dirty City. Either place them alongside the current dishonest ones, or distribute them according to the route in. Newmarket Rd. would have a different version than Sprowston Rd., `cos Newmarket Rd. is a bit low-life., while Magdalen St. and Anglia Square are very posh. Then do a life-style exchange prog with the braying finger-snappers of posh Naarch experiencing the crude realities of the Morlocks. Before they are eaten up by their own smugness.
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Stop Press. I only pressed the button once and it disappeared altogether. Nothing new there. No point in typing that again.
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Trouble is, it`s not just Anglia Square that looks like a bad night in Beirut. That end of Magdalen Street is adorned by boarded-up, decaying shops and suffers from a level of detritus and filth that you might expect from the narrative posted by dontcare. If anybody wanted to do a Documentary on the haves and have nots, they could shoot the whole thing in Norwich without needing to move around much. Perhaps we should have more than one design of "Welcome to Norwich" sign. The existing "Fine City" version and an accurate one alongside. Or selected according to which route you enter by. How about a Competition to design the alternative sign? Judged by a Panel including Tracey Emin and a cross-section of Norwich "Society". From the haves to the have-nots. Afterwards, the Hs and H-Ns could participate in a Home and Life-style exchange, as part of the Documentary. Mutual education. Finger-snapping and braying for Swearing and Great Expectorations. Dickens of a good idea.
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Stop Press, I only pressed the button once and it appeared four times. Jack pot! The Moderator was probably having a snooze.
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Red Steepler
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Planning in Norwich following the 2nd World War has been a total disaster under the continuos Labour Council,who hold the view to this day that they have protected the historic heritage of Norwich,half of which has been demolished,whilst they attend meetings !
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Albert Cooper
Friday, March 9, 2012
It definately needs updating to modern day.
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foxey
Friday, March 9, 2012
dontcare, that sounds like a good day! Those nice people were only trying to start their spawn`s education early. Lesson 1: How to gob on a shoe. The Golden Triangle mob are little different really. They snap their fingers at waitresses and adopt faux "posh" accents. And with all that expensive education, too. You`d think they`d know better. And such loud voices.
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Mad Brewer
Friday, March 9, 2012
Some of those on the Golden Triangle should come and have a look at what the real world looks like.They will not get dizzy crossing the Wensum.
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Peter Watson
Friday, March 9, 2012
biglingers .... good idea great idea.
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dontcare.com
Friday, March 9, 2012
Why not knock it all downn and put a giant council car park and cut our council tax to bootT!
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biglingers
Friday, March 9, 2012
Ok, Red Steepler you made your point 4 times to be precise.
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Stop Press
Friday, March 9, 2012
I agree that aspects of the design of the St Augustine's gyratory were not well handled, not least the absurd postioning of the pelican crossings in Pitt Street where few people cross. However, COLD should get his facts right - the work was undertaken by contractors hired by the County Council not the City Council.
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Red Steepler
Friday, March 9, 2012
I agree that aspects of the design of the St Augustine's gyratory were not well handled, not least the absurd postioning of the pelican crossings in Pitt Street where few people cross. However, COLD should get his facts right - the work was undertaken by contractors hired by the County Council not the City Council.
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Red Steepler
Friday, March 9, 2012
I agree that aspects of the design of the St Augustine's gyratory were not well handled, not least the absurd postioning of the pelican crossings in Pitt Street where few people cross. However, COLD should get his facts right - the work was undertaken by contractors hired by the County Council not the City Council.
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Red Steepler
Friday, March 9, 2012
I agree HMSO should go but TBH the entire square needs a few lbs of explosives, maybe Abu Quatarda can do a recon mission?
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chebram71
Friday, March 9, 2012
It may be a while before building work starts,but there isn't any reason why they can't demolish the monstrosity that is the former HMSO building,starting right now.The building is of no use whatsoever and the rubble could be recycled to be used in creating affordable housing projects.I would pay good money to push the plunger on that hideous eyesore.
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Nexus_6
Friday, March 9, 2012
Anglia Square needs some serious attention; ideally a transformation montage à la 'Woman's Touch' from Calamity Jane... more realistically, a coat of paint, better management and a city council that recognises and is sensitive to postwar heritage. Smashing it to pieces and building another Riverside, or Chapelfield, is hardly the inspirational touch we need considering the gravity of the site, the dominance over NR3 which it commands... thousands of citizens depend on the present mechanics of the zone and are as unhappy as anyone about the state of things. Alas, the streets and buildings that went before are gone and cannot be replaced, and yet -while she still stands and serves- the money has spoken, the Square is condemned. Indeed, corners will be cut in the interests of naked profiteering, and we'll be having the same debate about Calvert Sq. in 40 years...
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Rogers of Norwich
Friday, March 9, 2012
Anglia Square and the Flyover .a direct result of the disaster that in "The Inner Link Road" built through the heart of the City.with thousands of Houses and Historic Buildings demolised ,and this road goes nowhere,but brings a huge volume of traffic directly into the City Centre.And the council stands up for preserving our Historic City
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Albert Cooper
Friday, March 9, 2012
Within a matter of days, some of the new slabs of the newly laid path near St, Augustine's Church were twisting and sinking into the ground, parts of the new road are already cracked, with bricks twisting and turning into the ground. The path was laid only to be dug up a few days later to locate the traffic lights, thus one can see where it has been repaired, and this is just a small section of the new work. How the city council can except this type of bad workmanship is beyond me, they obviously just don't care what the area looks like, or are too dumb to understand this is not expectable. Just what is it going to look like when they actually start on Anglia Square? Take a look and ask yourself if you would except this type of workmanship if you had paid for it. Oh! actually you did.
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COLD
Friday, March 9, 2012
Oh Please get it right this time - all other attempts have failed miserably - it COULD be a place to enjoy shopping - what is needed is a FREE car park - that would draw people to Anglia Square to SHOP !
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Stop Press
Friday, March 9, 2012
The sooner Anglia Square is redeveloped , the better. Its an absolute shambles down there at present. I cant understand why anyone would shop there in its current state.
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Abraham
Friday, March 9, 2012