intu has submitted plans to transform the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham.

It’s believed that construction activity on site could start in the first half of 2016 with the project anticipated to last for approximately two years, provided Nottingham City Council agrees to the proposed plans, which also owns a third of the shopping centre with intu owning the remaining two thirds.

Martin Breeden, regional director of intu, said: “Nottingham has always been a top 10 retail city but, in the last couple of years, it’s really had the sense of a place on the way up.

“There’s the massive extension to the tram system, improvements to the railway station, increasing amounts of urban living and new independent stores and restaurants popping up and, of course, our own improvements to intu Victoria Centre.

“Our plans for intu Broadmarsh will build further on that progress, bringing new streetscapes, a new cinema and a wider retail and catering offer.

“We have been in the city for over 40 years with intu Victoria Centre and are fully committed to creating something special for Nottingham.”

Mike Butterworth, chief operating officer of Intu Properties, indicated that they are in talks which would see the Caves of Nottingham experience become a strong element to attract leisure visitors.

Stating: "We see the Caves as an important visitor attraction, an element of leisure and catering in the redevelopment."

It’s expected that the existing Arndale Car Park will be demolished to create more open views the Nottingham Castle which has recently won almost £13m of Heritage Lottery Fund money to go towards a £24m refurbishment. All of which points to there being plenty of men on site wearing hard hats and using every conceivable type of building supplies for some time to come.

The architect for the project is Benoy, which also designed the outstanding St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff which is jointly owned by intu and Land Securities.