Cathedral cities don't need tower blocks!

Norwich skyline - credit Gerard Stamp — View over Norwich's historic low-rise city centre

How England’s Cathedral City was saved from a 20-storey tower block

SAVE began fighting a “calamitous” redevelopment of Anglia Square in 2018, an 11.5-acre part-derelict 1960s shopping precinct, car park and former government building within Norwich’s medieval city walls and the city centre conservation area.

We fully support regenerating this vast landmark site in the heart of the city, but believe plans should benefit the community and respect the city’s historic character – particularly when public funds are involved.

In 2018, a highly controversial £271m redevelopment was proposed that would have involved using £15m of public money to build 1,250 flats and commercial space and a multi-storey car park. These were to be high-density, high-rise blocks of 4-12 storeys, with only 10% affordable housing (well below the council’s 33% policy minimum).

Central to the plan was a 20-storey tower that would have destroyed Norwich’s medieval skyline, which includes grade I-listed buildings like St Augustine’s Church.

Anglia Square proposal — Proposed CGI of the defeated proposal for Anglia Square, with large-scale blocks and a 20-storey tower (top left), all out of keeping with the historic grain of Norwich city centre conservation area

Norwich skyline mock-up — View fom Norwich Castle showing how the proposed scheme and 20-storey tower and adjoining slab blocks would have dominated the skyline

In a landmark victory, SAVE fought and won a major public inquiry, supporting the government's heritage advisor, Historic England, in defeating the highly controversial redevelopment.

In the three-year battle towards the inquiry, we:

Together with The Norwich Society and local campaigners, campaigned against the redevelopment plans, triggering 350 objections.
Drummed up significant national press interest and released a joint public statement with other heritage organisations against the proposal.
Published a 28-page report, Cathedral Cities Don't Need Tower Blocks, exposing the plans and guiding the public in how to oppose them.
Held a standing-room-only public meeting with The Norwich Society, where we discussed the proposals and gave residents and community groups the opportunity to say how they would like to see the site developed.

Anglia Sq Ash Sakula alt vision Aerial Sketch — An indicative alternative vision of Anglia Square shows how the scar created in the 1960s could be healed and the site knitted back into the city's surrounding street pattern

Botolph Street view sketch, Norwich — A sketch showing how Botolph Street could look with lower-rise buildings, a street rather than block based approach and and pedestrians prioritised

Following the public inquiry victory, and building on Historic England’s work with Ash Sakula Architects, SAVE commissioned an updated vision for the site in 2022. The high-level masterplan proposes a mix of flats and houses all with private outdoor space - following a street- rather than block-based approach. It is designed to respect the city’s historical character and connect with the surrounding streets.

In 2024, Weston Homes unexpectedly pulled out of the Anglia Square project. We see this as an excellent opportunity for Norwich City Council and Homes England to consider a fresh approach for the future of this landmark site.

Updated: March 2025