Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has challenged the city of Nottingham to rewild the site of a shopping centre once its demolition is completed.

The charity has worked with local firm Influence Landscape Architects to reimagine the space transformed with wildlife habitats reflecting the site’s history as a wetland alongside the ancient course of the River Leen and long-lost gardens.

Their vision for the site includes accessible walkways based on a centuries-old city street plan to reconnect key parts of the city.

Following the decision to demolish the Broadmarsh shopping centre, which the trust says was “much-derided”, it sees an opportunity to green-up the historic city centre.

Grey urban jungle

The Wildlife Trust has worked with Influence Landscape Architects to reimagine the “imposing grey urban jungle and replace the concrete with 100 per cent natural greenspace”.

It hopes this could be the start of a big idea to reconnect the city to Sherwood Forest and invoke the spirit of Robin Hood – bringing wildlife to nature-poor city dwellers and the millions of visitors it attracts every year.

“Transforming the Broadmarsh into a natural greenspace would bring people together and start putting the city’s nature into recovery at a time when natural greenspace has never been more valued or needed,” said the trust’s chief executive, Paul Wilkinson.

“It could also act as a springboard to securing investment in green growth and green infrastructure and deliver the long term aspiration of reconnect our city to the ancient Sherwood Forest landscape and we’re calling on people to back our vision,” he said.

Appetite for greening

Since the site was handed back to the council in the summer, there has been much talk locally over the site’s future. A change.org petition calling for the area to be transformed into public greenspace secured almost 11,000 signatures and other polls have also supported calls for a new greenspace.

The trust will be submitting our ideas as part of Nottingham city council’s ‘Big Conversation’ consultation- which runs until later this month.

Nottingham City Council Leader, Councillor David Mellen, said: “We know that people really value open, green space in Nottingham.”

“Nottingham aims to be the first carbon-neutral city in the UK. We’d want to see this ambition reflected in the future for Broadmarsh in some way and we’re keen to hear a wide range of thoughts and ideas on what should happen next,” he said.