City planners have approved the £10m Lace Market Square development in the centre of the Conservation Area, adjoining The Edge, and linking the Bridlesmith Gate fashion district with the Lace Market and Hockley Village.

The contemporary scheme, designed by architects Franklin Ellis, includes two buildings, the first offering retail space at ground floor and five upper floors containing 46 luxury apartments. The second will comprise a two-storey glazed pavilion which will house a high quality restaurant.

At the heart of the development by local developer Bildurn is a 11,000 sq ft public square, where people can enjoy al fresco dining or simply relax and enjoy the well-designed environment.

Architect David Franklin commented: "The development will create a much needed public space within the Lace Market. The building seeks to provide a balance between respecting the old and reflecting a modern, forward-thinking ethos."

An outdoor space in the Lace Market has been something Nottingham City Council has wanted for some considerable time, according to Nigel Turpin, leader of the council's city centre and urban design team.

He said: "There is currently no open space in the Lace Market and the council has been keen to create one in this historical area of intensive development. Bildurn has been liaising closely with the council in order to redress the balance."

He added: "In addition, the development has been planned using the 'Secure by Design' industry standard, ensuring, from the drawing board, that open spaces are safe areas to enjoy."

The development will also include secure underground parking for approximately 70 cars. Work is expected to start shortly and the scheme will be complete in summer 2006.

Nottingham-based art and landscape design company Wolfgang and Heron, winners of a Lord Mayor's Award for Urban Design, will be designing the public space, which will be surfaced in high quality materials with soft landscaping features, pieces of art and quality outdoor furniture.

Fiona Heron of Wolfgang and Heron said: "It is our aim to create a tranquil haven, reflecting the quality of this valuable space and the buildings around it. We want to create a 'soft' environment in which people can relax.

"We are taking an integrated design approach, creating a 3D sculptural space and surface, in which every element has a meaning as well as a function."

The Lace Market is well-known for its fashionable eateries, but at present there is no outdoor restaurant in the city centre.

Latest statistics have revealed that Briton's love to eat out. We are now Europe's biggest spenders when it comes to dining out - head and shoulders above the Italian and French, who come second and third.

The Datamonitor survey also showed that eating out was no longer confined to weekends, and the number of midweek evening eating-out occasions is expected to rise by 30% over the next five years.

The catering press is also full of news of quality restaurant chains and café bars continuing to expand, such as Cafe Nero which has an outlet in the city, and which is continuing in its growth plan of five new sites per month.

Bildurn director Sean Akins said: "This has been a complex project to get off the ground and we are delighted that it has now reached the stage where building work can start.

"Bildurn is a company which focuses on quality of architecture and we are confident that we will be delivering a first-class development which will truly add something to the environment of the Lace Market for all to enjoy.

"We have brought together a first class team of designers and architects who know the city well and who will create a striking environment which will become a valued addition to the Lace Market."

Architects Franklin Ellis are well-known for their projects in the East Midlands and further a field. They were the design force behind the Paul Smith shop in Nottingham and retail and residential developments at Castlewharf, Stoney Street and Sneinton Market, among others.

ENDS

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