International architecture and urbanism practice Broadway Malyan and developer Weston Homes have submitted new proposals for a comprehensive redevelopment of Anglia Square, an important site within the centre of Norwich. The completely revised scheme aims to create a new place to live which will sustain and enhance the existing retail uses, significantly improve the public realm and pedestrian links to the wider neighbourhood, and create a new residential heart, of eventually up to 1100 homes, which will form an integral part of the existing community.
The full proposal will bring forward a replacement local centre complete with 8000sqm of flexible retail and business space. They will provide a brand-new Community Hub for local use, new cycling routes and two new public squares, as well as up to 450 car parking spaces, car club spaces and improvements to existing highways and public realm.
The new homes will include a mix of townhouses and apartments with heights across the site ranging from 3 to 8 storeys with a variety of tenures types, designed to offer a mix of homes for all.
The schemes masterplan was derived from analysis of the historic, pre-war layout with a focus on a recreation the old Botolph street route and an overall increase of permeability across the site, with newly accessible through-routes facilitating better movement into surrounding communities and Norwich city centre. The design reinvigorates the existing commercial offers at Anglia Square through the implementation of a transformed local centre and combines these with the established independent traders of Magdalen Street, St Augustines Street and local communities through the reintroduction of key historic routes. Together, this is designed to create a much safer site, with natural surveillance from surrounding homes and businesses.
The design of the proposed new buildings directly references Norwich’s traditional residential dwellings, using contemporary reinterpretations of classic brick details and textures found in the local streets. It encompasses extensive local community and key stakeholder consultation undertaken between April 2020 and March 2021. This has included seven major public exhibitions, additional group and individual meetings involving over 1,100 local Norwich people from the general public, and additional on correspondence and meetings with 16 key stakeholder groups including Norwich City Council, Norwich County Council, Historic England, The Norwich Society, Save Britain’s Heritage and Norwich Cathedral.
A hybrid application has been submitted to Norwich Council on the site, which aims to secure detailed consent for an initial 367 homes, nearly 6,000sqm of commercial space and 146 car parking spaces.
The remainder of the site will be submitted as a reserved matters application later in the year and the site will be developed in phases, with the first phase due on site in Q1 of 2023 following a successful planning resolution.
Bob Weston, Chairman & Managing Director of Weston Homes said:
“With the new proposals for Anglia Square we have consulted in depth with local people and listened to all the key stakeholders. After many months of hard work on the designs we hope that the new application will be well received by the planning committee and local people of Norwich. Weston Homes remains firmly committed to finding a viable future for Anglia Square which has the support of the people of Norwich.”
Lucas Ward, Associate at Broadway Malyan said:
“I’m so glad we’ve been able to bring forward a resident-led proposal for the future Anglia Square site, a unique opportunity to regenerate this important site and affords the potential to deliver a significant and positive addition to the City. The design takes reference from analysing the past and present character of Norwich, and through insightful community consultation, we have worked towards a shared vision with stakeholders and the people of Norwich. The result is a contextually led proposal that blends architecture, heritage, landscape and urban design together. The designs will provide a new place to live on a site that has not seen homes for more than half a century – where people can live work and play together. We want to not only create new communities but integrate with the communities established in Norwich over the Water. The team are proud to have put together such a cohesive vision for a thriving new place, that reflects the character and heritage of Norwich.”