In the heart of Nottingham, on the 20-acre site of the old Broad Marsh shopping centre, the ‘Green Heart’ is one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, restoring green space and public realm at the heart of the city.
The project reintroduces the famous ‘marsh’ to the city centre, adding new mature trees with a range of natural spaces carefully planted to provide habitats and food for wildlife throughout the whole year. By prioritising nature and biodiversity, the project achieves a biodiversity net gain of 438%, demonstrating that urban development could be genuinely nature-positive.
The project aligns with Willmott Dixon’s Now or Never sustainability strategy, which aims for all projects to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than before construction by 2030.
From the earliest stage, our project team worked alongside Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to develop a 'nature first' public realm.
The design evolved to create distinct habitat zones:
- The restored marsh pond area, fed by natural water flow from Collin Street, became the centrepiece.
- Two rain garden areas provided sustainable drainage while creating additional wetland habitat.
- Carefully selected native plant communities established around these water features to support pollinators and other wildlife through every season.
The tree planting strategy reveals the ecological planning behind the project with 38 trees now on site – 34 newly planted alongside four existing oaks that were carefully retained. Each species was selected to perform multiple functions: providing habitat, adapting to climate variability, surviving extreme weather, and thriving in the wet conditions around the marsh.
The diverse plantings not only support pollinators but also act as carbon sinks, filtering air pollution while providing year-round visual interest. The careful selection of trees and plants isn't just aesthetically pleasing – it's multi-functional with the wetlands not only providing new habitat for frogs, newts, and dragonflies – but also managing stormwater naturally, reducing flood risk downstream. This soft landscaping approach also helps combat 'urban heat island effects' - where buildings and surfaces like concrete pavements absorb and retain more heat from the sun than natural landscapes.
Biodiversity net gain is now a key consideration for our customers following the introduction of new legal requirements (Environment Act 2021) for developers in England to deliver a minimum 10% net gain and maintain it for at least 30 years. Pre-development the site recorded 0.26 habitat units - the standard measure of biodiversity within an area - post-development the site recorded 1.14 habitat units, showing how the project left the environment in a measurably better state than before the work.
Beyond its environmental achievements, the Green Heart succeeds as a piece of urban infrastructure that connects both places and people. Multiple footpaths create accessible routes through the space, linking different parts of the city centre while providing opportunities to experience nature.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Chief Executive, Paul Wilkinson said:
“Our ‘nature first’ approach had significant support from the public and we are delighted that what started out as aspiration has become a reality. We congratulate everyone that’s been involved in this transformation and look forward to seeing the Green Heart evolve.”
Councillor Neghat Khan, Nottingham City Council Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, said:
“Following the collapse of the intu Broadmarsh shopping centre, we asked people in Nottingham what they wanted to see in this space… they overwhelmingly asked for a new green park.
“I’m pleased that something amazing has bloomed, creating a wonderful new space for people and wildlife alike. Thank you to council colleagues and partners who have brought this to life.”
