Bulwell town centre regeneration

Plans are well under way to carry out £20m of improvements to Bulwell town centre later this year.

Nottingham City Council successfully bid for £19.8m from the previous government’s Levelling Up Fund to revamp the area and boost economic growth.

The council had submitted a bid in June 2022 to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), as they were called then under the previous Government, seeking funding through the second round of the Levelling Up Fund.

Officers spoke to a significant number of local stakeholders in developing the bid, but this was initially unsuccessful. However, in November 2023, DLUHC announced that the full funding (£19.867m) would be awarded in the fund’s third round of grants.  

The council’s project plan for the Levelling Up improvements included extensive consultation with local communities and representatives.

What we're doing with the grant award

The new project will deliver a range of improvements to make the town centre more attractive, including:

• Bulwell Bogs: The much-loved Bulwell Bogs area will be fully refreshed with a new planting and landscape design, including a high-quality play offer to cater for all ages. It will see renewal and expansion of the splash park and introduction of a refreshments kiosk with toilet and changing facilities to make the park a great place to visit – particularly in summer months. Lighting and CCTV will also be upgraded
• Market place: Existing market equipment will be replaced with a flexible mix of stalls, along with better access to electrical power on site, allowing flexibility in attracting both new and existing vendors
• Bus station public toilets: The existing bus station toilets will be rebuilt and completed modernised
• Wider public realm refurbishment: Paving will be renewed across the pedestrianised areas of the town centre along with new seating and street trees. Connections will be improved between the Market Place and the Bogs area to bring these separate parts of the town centre together

What next?

The plans have been shared and widely consulted on over the past few months with local residents, businesses, community groups, stakeholders and ward councillors.

Project officers have also been on Bulwell Market to speak to people about what's proposed, answer questions and show them designs. The aim has been to make sure as many people as possible have had the chance to give their views and shape the final plans. 

Construction work is due to begin in autumn 2025, which has been deliberately chosen to minimise the impact of construction works during the school holidays and to ensure that the Bogs remain open as usual for families to enjoy over the summer.

You can read the latest news article on the project here.