Demolition contractors to be appointed for Anglia Square

The site, which opened in 1970, is set to be demolished to make way for 1,100 new homes, offices and shops.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) All remaining businesses vacated the site last month and parts of the former shopping destination have been boarded up with stairs to the upper level, where the cinema used to be, blocked off to the public.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) A spokesman for Norwich City Council said they were "looking to appoint" a contractor to demolish the site "later this month".

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) The council spokesman added: "The demolition programme will be determined from then on and will likely start with a ‘soft strip’ of buildings.”

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Anglia Square was built after parts of the city were heavily bombed during the Baedeker raids in April 1942.

The site was deemed suitable for post-war development.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Sovereign House was built for Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), in the late 1960s, and a cinema and multi-storey car park - the beginning of Anglia Square - followed in 1970.

The development also saw the construction of the St Crispin's Road flyover which formed part of the inner ring road and controversially bisected Magdalen Street.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) As the years went on shops, an office block known as Gildengate House and the covered square, were added. 

The overarching canopy in the centre of Anglia Square, was unveiled in 1991.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) But before it is demolished for good, there are still some that have taken the opportunity to walk through the deserted site before the bulldozers move in.

Steve Cooper and his wife Jackie (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Among them were Steve Cooper, 70, and his wife Jackie, 68, from Horsford.

Mr Cooper said: “It seems a shame”.

“It needs re-doing but it seems a shame that this is being lost.

“It has been a benefit for people for certain types of shopping.

“My mum used to talk about going down to the square to do a bit of shopping”.

Mr Cooper, a Beatles fan, said he remembered his dad taking him to the former Odeon cinema when he was a child to see A Hard Day’s Night.

Mrs Cooper said: “I hope they get on with it quickly.”

She said she hope it would be replaced with homes and some good businesses but admitted it was “a shame” it was going.

An empty Anglia Square (Image: Peter Walsh Newsquest) A 61-year-old man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had been coming to Anglia Square with his dog - who he said was a mascot of Anglia Square - for the past eight years.

He said: “He used to go to Greggs every day and get a steak bake.

“I will miss it.

“I think it’s just a shame it’s happened.”