Norwich: New images of plans to redevelop city centre

New images have revealed how a large redevelopment project in a city centre might look.

The Hotel Nelson in Norwich, opposite the train station, is set to be demolished and rebuilt along with dozens of new homes and student accommodation.

Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, have revealed a fresh look at the scheme after two years of development.

The firm expect to submit a formal planning application in the next few weeks, which will be considered by Norwich City Council early next year.

Whitbread hope to completely transform one of the city's main gateways, which they say is dominated by "tired and dilapidated" buildings.

New details about the project were unveiled at a City Hall briefing last week, showing the site could provide homes for about 600 people.

The proposals will include the complete demolition of the existing Nelson and its replacement by a new hotel with 243 rooms, plus a commerical space for restaurants and cafes.

But the defining feature of the scheme is two large blocks of sudent flats, which will have a total of 491 rooms.

There will also be a block of 75 residential apartments and a large plaza on the riverfront, designed to host markets, concerts and other events.

The site was occupied by the Great Eastern Hotel until it was demolished in 1963 and the Nelson was built in its place in 1971.