Geldards advises Nottingham City Council on flagship sustainable transport project

Geldards has successfully advised Nottingham City Council on a major £12.6m contract with Balfour Beatty for the construction of a new landmark bridge across the River Trent to improve sustainability links and connectively across the city.

Funded by the Transforming Cities Fund provided by Central Government, the new foot and cycle bridge will link the north and south sides of River Trent, connecting the Trent Basin community of new homes with the green spaces and sporting facilities on the other side. In line with the ambitions of the Transforming Cities Fund, the project promotes sustainable travel in the city by allowing easy access across the city for cyclists and pedestrians to encourage lower carbon, traffic-free journeys.

The project will have a positive impact on the region, boosting employment in the city with over one hundred new jobs to be created by Balfour Beatty during the life of the build. It will be the first new bridge to be built in Nottingham in more than sixty years and construction on the 20 metre high bridge is already underway ready for a Spring 2026 opening.

Geldards provided comprehensive legal advice to Nottingham City Council working across multiple stakeholders to bring the project to life. Geldards’ Public Sector team, led by partners Neil Walker and Clare Hardy supported by solicitor Kelly Lawton, navigated complex negotiations with landowners and advised on crucial land acquisition matters, land parcelling agreements, and access rights arrangements. The firm’s Infrastructure & Construction team, led by partner Chris Hawrylak and supported by solicitor Amanda Hamilton, provided expert guidance on all construction-related legal matters, including negotiating and finalising the construction delivery contract with Balfour Beatty.

Commenting on the project Infrastructure & Construction partner Chris Hawrylak said:

“Geldards is delighted to have played a key role in this vital project which promotes sustainable transport links in Nottingham and contributes to the ongoing regeneration of the city. We have been working closely with Nottingham City Council on the project for some time finalising complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders and securing the construction contract agreement with Balfour Beatty and we are pleased the project has now come to fruition.”

Paul Horn, who is managing the Bridge project at Nottingham City Council said:

“We are grateful to the many stakeholders who have been involved in bringing this exciting new walking and cycling bridge, funded by Central Government through the Transforming Cities Fund, to life. Geldards played an important in role in enabling this project to take shape, working hard behind the scenes with our many dedicated stakeholders providing specialist legal advice on many aspects of delivery and in particular advising on the construction contract with our trusted lead delivery partner Balfour Beatty. I would like to thank them for their role in guiding the city toward a greener, more connected future.”

**Image credit:  Nottingham City Council**