Anglia Square
The Forum's position on Anglia Square
At our February 2022 meeting, forum members made a decision that the NOW Neighbourhood Forum would not take a view on the Weston Homes proposals, since we are aware that the views of our members vary significantly, and we did not have the resources to do the engagement that would be necessary to formulate an agreed view in the timescale that would be required.
Throughout the application process, we aimed to ensure the voice of the community was heard by letting you know about consultations, events or decisions, and giving you information to help you understand the plans and form your opinions.
The application was approved by the council’s planning committee on 27th April 2023, with development expected to start in early 2024. In February 2024, the developer announced that they would be cancelling the scheme.
Norwich's bid for Anglia Square
Since Weston Homes backed out of developing Anglia Square, the council has looking into putting in a bid to buy the site. Here are the news articles that have been published about that:
BBC 1/8/2024: Council formally launches bid to buy Anglia Square
EDP 1/8/2024: Norwich City Council begins Anglia Square negotiations
BBC 31/7/2024: What can be done to help Norwich’s Anglia Square?
Reddit discussion of the below articles
EDP/Evening News 10/7/2024: Norwich City Council to launch bid to buy Anglia Square
Evening News 21/6/2024: Anglia Square needs massive investment for redevelopment
Evening News 20/6/2024: Clive Lewis backs Norwich City Council to buy Anglia Square
Evening News 19/6/2024: Anglia Square on the market after previous plans scrapped
BBC 19/6/2024: Shopping centre to go up for sale for £8.5m
Weston Homes' Scheme Cancelled
It’s been all over the news that Weston Homes have backed out of their plans to redevelop Anglia Square.
EDP 1/4/2024: Norwich homes stuck in limbo because of anti-pollution rules
Evening news 30/3/2024: Boss of Anglia Square developer fumes at Norwich councillor
EDP 14/3/2024: Norwich councillors call for scrapping of CIL exemption
EDP/Evening News 17/2/2024: Norwich Society call for ‘radical rethink’ for Anglia Square
Evening news 13/2/2024: We’ll get a plan to redevelop and regenerate Anglia Square
SAVE Britain’s Heritage 10/2/2024: Anglia Square: Campaigners call for fresh approach
Evening News 9/2/2024: Labour Party’s Alice Macdonald on planning reform in Norwich
Inside Housing 9/2/2024: House builder pulls 1,100-home scheme amid claim that government intervention made it unviable
Europe Real Estate 7/2/2024: Weston Homes cancels €8.8m redevelopment of Anglia Square in Norwich (GB)
BBC 7/2/2024: Uncertainty after firm pulls out of city revamp plan
BBC Radio Norfolk 7/2/2024: Anglia Square developers: Plans can’t work
Medriva 7/2/2024: Weston Homes Abandons Anglia Square Project: Impact and Implications
EDP 7/2/2024: Norwich folk react to Anglia Square rebuild being scrapped
Evening News 7/2/2024: Anglia Square owners insist site has ‘significant potential’
ITV 7/2/2024: Anglia Square: Developer blames government as £300m regeneration scheme for Norwich is scrapped
BBC 6/2/2024: Norwich Anglia Square developer quits regeneration project
EDP 6/2/2024: Reaction as revamp of Anglia Square in Norwich is cancelled
EDP 6/2/2024: Norwich Anglia Square revamp cancelled by Weston Homes
Housing Today 6/2/2024: Weston Homes blames government for decision to axe 1,100-home Anglia Square development
Architects Journal 6/2/2024: Developer blames Tories for collapse of Broadway Malyan £300m Norwich plans
Building Design 6/2/2024: Broadway Malyan’s controversial Norwich scheme axed as developer blames government
Construction Index 6/2/2024: Weston abandons £300m Norwich development plans
Planning Resource (Paywall) 6/2/2024: Developer blames ‘planning delays’ and Tory government in withdrawing from 1,100-home regeneration scheme
The Anglia Square planning application in the News
Here are some of the latest stories on Anglia Square in the News (list last updated 29/4/23):
The decision also features in various industry publications here, here, here, here and here.
Architects Journal 28/4/23: Broadway Malyan’s controversial reworked Norwich plans win go-ahead
EDP 28/4/23: Anglia Square redevelopment set to start in six months
BBC 28/4/23: Norwich Anglia Square plan approved by city council
Historic England 28/4/23: Historic England Disappointed at Anglia Square Decision
Norwich City Council 27/4/23: City council’s planning applications committee approves Anglia Square scheme
EDP 27/4/23: Norwich’s controversial Anglia Square development approved
EDP 27/4/23: Norwich: Shelter urges council to reject Anglia Square plans
Evening News 26/3/23: Norwich: Anglia Square plans must be approved, say city folk
Evening News 26/4/23: Poll: Should Norwich council approve Anglia Square plans?
EDP (letters) 25/4/23: Anglia Square proposal means bad news for renters in Norwich
EDP 23/4/23: Anglia Square proposal means bad news for renters in Norwich
EDP 21/4/23: Anglia Square redvelopment recommended for approval
EDP 25/3/23: Norwich Anglia Square revamp sparks further objections
YahooNews 25/3/23: Anglia Square revamp ‘fundamentally flawed’ claim as objections mount
Evening News 18/3/23: Norwich’s Anglia Square planning saga needs to end
Evening News 14/3/23: Norwich Anglia Square shopping centre revamp objections
EDP 12/3/23: Anglia Square’s Sovereign House is ugliest Norwich building
Evening News 3/2/23: Anglia Square community levy fears reignited in Norwich
EDP 25/1/23: Anglia Square decision expected before the summer
Evening News 12/1/23: Anglia Square’s Sovereign House staircase made safe
Evening News 7/1/23: New plan which could save Anglia Square backed
EDP 27/12/22: Norfolk nutrient neutrality new homes deadlock could end
EDP 21/10/22: Hopes of saving ‘medieval church’ remains from bulldozer are dashed
Evening News 13/10/22: ‘Left in limbo’: What now as Anglia Square proposal stutters?
EDP 20/9/22: Sewage concerns trigger objections to Anglia Square revamp
EDP 30/8/22: Revised Anglia Square plans criticised by Norwich MP
EDP 23/8/22: Anglia Square revamp plans changed – but objectors remain unswayed
Evening News 11/8/22: Claims new Anglia Square flats will look like ‘rabbit hutches’
Evening News 20/7/22: Claims rival Anglia Square plan ‘will cost taxpayers £100m’
Evening News 12/7/22: Call for ‘joined-up’ strategy to protect city’s heritage amid housing boom
Evening News 11/7/22: New vision for Anglia Square to rival Weston Homes application
SAVE Britain’s Heritage: Leading archaeologists and historians back listing bid for Norwich Church
EDP 30/6/22: Will Anglia Square developer be spared levy of millions of pounds?
Evening News 21/6/22: Fears Anglia Square homes will heap pressure on city GP surgeries
EDP 14/6/22: Plans submitted to rip down former Anglia Square bank for flats – NOTE: This building is not owned by the Anglia Square developer.
Evening News 14/6/22: Hopes block on thousands of new homes can be lifted within months
EDP 14/6/22: Westminster Abbey archaeologist backs campaign to save Anglia Square church
EDP 7/6/22: ‘Fundamentally at odds’ – Historic England opposes Anglia Square plans
EDP 1/6/22: Heritage watchdog objects to Anglia Square redevelopment plans
Architects’ Journal 31/5/22: Broadway Malyan’s revised Norwich scheme sparks fresh objections
Evening News 12/5/22: Why has it taken 30 years to get Anglia Square redeveloped?
Evening News 10/5/22: Will Anglia Square redevelopment create its own new high street?
Evening News 8/5/22: Doctor’s surgery access fears raised during Anglia Square consultation
EDP 4/5/22: Protection plea after potential Anglia Square medieval church discovery
EDP 30/4/22: How two words left Norfolk’s plans for thousands of homes in limbo
Evening News 20/4/22: New plans unveiled for Norwich’s Anglia Square
The Alternative Scheme
You may have heard in the news about an alternative scheme drawn up by architects Ash Sakula on behalf of campaign group SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
Please note that no application has been submitted for this alternative scheme. It is intended only to demonstrate the alternative those campaigners believe could be achieved on the site.
The 2022 Anglia Square Application
Weston Homes submitted an application for the Anglia Square site in April 2022 and amendments in July 2022 and February 2023. To see the plans, click on the link to the left below, and if you need more help on where to find relevant documents, download the guide on the right.
The Application
View the drawings and documents with other information about the application that was submitted by the applicant (Weston Homes) at this page on the city council’s website.
Guide to navigating the application
We know that it can be difficult to find your way around the documents to find what you’re looking for, so this short guide written by our secretary Simeon Jackson may help.
NOTE: the links in this guide have not been updated for the July 2022 or February 2023 amendments, and therefore only link to the April 2022 versions.