A new “green umbrella” group brings together many of Nottingham’s biggest environmental champions to put pressure on the City Council to come up with a sustainable plan for the Broadmarsh Centre site and adjacent areas.
The green umbrella is made up of Nottingham Green Party, Nottingham Co-Housing, Nottingham Good Food Partnership, Nottingham Liberal Democrats and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. Between them, they are responsible for three of the major proposals for the site that were submitted during the City Council’s consultation. The group’s first meeting was chaired by former Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson.
The partnership will add to the pressure mounting on the City Council to back a sustainable plan for the large area covered by the Broadmarsh Centre. The Group is agreeing common principles and standards which it believes the City Council will need to follow if the area is to be developed with nature in mind.
Alan Simpson said: “It’s inspiring to see the wide range of groups who have come together to create the green umbrella. These organisations have put self interest aside to fight for an environmentally sound solution to the Broadmarsh problem. This is great news for Nottingham because it underlines to the City Council just how seriously people in the city are taking this.”
Speaking for Nottingham Green Party, Cath Sutherland said:
“Even the government appointed ‘Improvement and Assurance Board’, that now oversees all the city council’s decisions, must recognise that the ‘new Broadmarsh’ should improve the city for the long term, and not just be a quick fix for the council’s terrible finances. The ‘new Broadmarsh’ needs to be looking to our low-carbon future, and making our city centre a beautiful place to spend time in, and a hub for Nottingham’s communities”.
A spokesperson for Nottingham Co-Housing said:
“Nottingham City council will need the vision and co-operation to work with their city to find housing solutions that lead to resilient diverse communities that become the guardians of their homes and their environment. Social and cultural inclusivity must be the way forward for our wellbeing and a new lifestyle for all on this fragile planet.”
Lloydie James Lloyd, Vice Chair and Campaigns for Nottingham Liberal Democrats said:
“For us this goes beyond party politics. This is about the city’s future and making sure we still have a planet. The ‘business as usual’ erosion of green space in the city’s planning needs to not only stop but be turned around. We are excited to work with people of all political persuasions and none to achieve this goal”
A spokesperson for Nottingham Good Food Partnership said:
“The power of this group is to give a voice to the thousands of citizens across the city who have called for a green solution to the Broadmarsh. We will act as a critical friend to the Broadmarsh Panel and City Council to ensure that nature and food growing is placed central to the development and that it is a truly sustainable space welcoming to the rich diversity of our communities and to visitors.”
Speaking for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, John Rattray, Head of Nature Recovery (South) said: “There is a huge public appetite for new natural greenspace to be at the heart of a reimagined Broadmarsh site. By working with partners we can help ensure a nature first approach which helps put nature into recovery, ensures people have access to nature on their doorstep and supports the City’s carbon neutral ambitions .”
The group welcomes input from other interested parties as it finalises the principles and standards on which it believes the Broadmarsh development needs to be built upon. To contact the group, people can email lizthomas10@gmail.com