Nottingham City Council has missed out on £20m of Government funding to demolish the former Broadmarsh shopping centre.

The Government announced 109 'Levelling Up' bids had been successful following the Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Budget announcement on Wednesday (October 27).

Levelling Up is a Government funding scheme for local authorities to regenerate towns and cities as well as improve its transport network.

However, Nottingham City Council has been successful in one of its bids – an £18 million grant to renew roads and pavements, street lights, and roll out more electric charging points across the city.

But it was unsuccessful in a £20m bid for funding to demolish the half decaying Broadmarsh shopping centre.

The demolition is a key part of the council's vision to attract developers and build 'a mixed use' scheme on the site – but ongoing financial problems at the authority combined with the sudden collapse into administration of the site's former operator mean it is not in a position to pay for the work itself.

This led to the council deciding to submit the funding bid to Government.

It has already secured funding to demolish the western end of the shopping centre near to Maid Marian Way.

But it needed a £20m Government bid to demolish the rest of the site, and to help fit out the new Central Library.

The Broadmarsh was due to be transformed into a major entertainment and shopping venue by shopping centre company Intu before the company fell into administration in June 2020.

Plans included a new cinema, bowling alley and restaurants.

The collapsed company handed the site back to Nottingham City Council, which set up an advisory group and asked the public for their ideas on how the site should be developed.

Urban designer, Thomas Heatherwick and property development firm, Stories, are currently on board and coming up with a framework that appeals to investors. The vision is due to unveiled in the Autumn.

A statement from the authority following the announcement is expected later today (October 27).

Cllr David Mellen (Lab), Leader of Nottingham City Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in August: "That site is not going to be easy to develop while there is a half-demolished shopping centre there and we need to clear it so it can be a space.

"It is the size of Wembley Stadium. It is a big space, and no one wanted Intu to go into administration, but it has given the council another chance to look at that space."

The council has said previously that if the Government bid is unsuccessful, it will look for other funding avenues to ensure the site is demolished.

Cllr Andrew Rule, leader of the opposition Conservative group at Nottingham City Council, said: "We are talking about an authority that has lost around £40m on Robin Hood Energy and a double whammy of Broadmarsh failing in the first place.

"The Government are bound to ask some questions on whether it is a competent body to be able to deliver a regeneration project using Levelling Up funding.

"It is back to the drawing board as to what we do with the Broadmarsh. The city council does not have the revenue to do it (demolish the site) so it may have to persuade a private partner to step in to help."