Citizen magazine Summer 2024 - text version - City council in discussions about buying Anglia Square

City council in discussions about buying Anglia Square  

Plans to get Anglia Square redeveloped have been unveiled after the council confirmed it was in discussion with the site owner about the possibility of buying the site. The move came after site owners, Columbia Threadneedle, put Anglia Square on the market in June with a guide price of £8.5m. The site was offered in three lots with the main site as one lot and with each of the satellite car parks as separate lots.

At the time of going to print, discussions were still ongoing – and with the council remaining committed to doing all it can to maximise the benefits to residents, businesses and the wider city by pushing hard for whole-site regeneration.Leader of the council, Mike Stonard said: “We have had discussions with various partners who share our vision of regenerating Norwich which means creating a new Anglia Square featuring truly affordable homes, an eclectic mix of retail and leisure outlets and well-paid jobs for local people.

“As the most deprived area of the city, and within the top 10% of the most deprived areas in the UK, there is an undeniable need to regenerate the whole area.

“People who live there deserve better and we are committed to using all the levers we have to get this site comprehensively developed – in the right way and with the type of development that our city needs. No-one else knows that better than us.”

At a previous meeting of full council in July, there was cross- party political support for further work on redevelopment plans for Anglia Square.

This included an agreement to take forward steps to produce a plan to support businesses in Anglia Square and another report to explore options for future ownership, including the potential for the council to purchase the site.

The council expressed its interest in buying the site after news earlier this year that Weston Homes had pulled out of plans to develop the site, despite securing planning permission from the council.

The council has committed to invest £300,000 from its reserves to work up a business plan and carry out site assessments.

For more information visit www.norwich.gov.uk/committees and look for the cabinet meeting on 17 July where you can read the Anglia Square report.