Fresh interest in Norwich's former Colman's Mustard factory

Unilever and Britvic, which jointly own the 40-acre Carrow Works site on the edge of Norwich, revealed they are looking to strike a deal over its future.

And it is understood that there are investors interested in putting a new scheme together for the site, which sits between the river and King Street/Bracondale.

The Carrow Works site in Norwich (Image: Fuel Properties)

Norwich City Council leaders said it is vital that the right development - a mix of housing, business and leisure - happens at a site seen as crucial to Norwich's economic future.

Norwich City Council leader Mike Stonard (Image: Denise Bradley)

Mike Stonard, Labour leader of Norwich City Council, said: "It is absolutely vital that we get the right landowner and the right development there, with a proposal that accords with the East Norwich Masterplan.

"It needs to be a mix of restidential and commercial, which includes leisure as well.

"We want to create a new quarter for the city there and the decisions which get made now will last for generations.

"I am absolutely committed to getting it right, so that a high quality community is created there."

In March the council's planning committee turned down plans from developer Fuel Properties for the site.

Proposals from Fuel Properties to develop the site were turned down by Norwich City Council's planning committee (Image: Fuel Properties)

City Hall said there had been a breakdown in communications with the developers, which had resulted in delays to the application.

Plans were first submitted in 2022 but were trapped in limbo for a year, as more detail was sought from the developers.

Concerns were raised about the lack of affordable homes within the 1,859 housing development at Carrow Works, along with insufficient detail about its impact on the surrounding environment and road networks.

The Carrow Works site (Image: Fuel Properties)

The development is part of the council's flagship East Norwich Masterplan, under which 3,000 homes and 4,000 jobs are planned to be created at Carrow and neighbouring sites in Whitlingham/Trowse.

The largely vacant site was home to the Colman’s Mustard factory for more than 160 years and contains several listed structures.

In March 2018, Unilever, which owned the renowned Colman's Mustard brand, announced it was shutting the Carrow Works site.

That move came after Britvic, which made products like Fruit Shoot and Robinsons, announced in October 2017, that it was closing its factory there.

A spokesperson for Unilever said: "We can confirm that Unilever still owns the Carrow Road site jointly with Britvic, and our intention is to sell the site."