Norwich's former Marsh and Sedgwick offices to be demolished

The Victoria House office block in Queens Road has stood empty since the start of last year when the insurance company moved out of the building.

Now a letter posted to those living nearby has revealed developers Norwich Victoria want to demolish the building and redevelop the site.

Details of the redevelopment are yet to emerge, but it is believed at least part of the new site would be likely to include office space.

This is due to a special planning order introduced after it was found the city centre had lost more than 30pc of its business space since 2013.

According to the letter, developers are planning to begin work on August 7 and finish within six months.

The Marsh building could be demolished as early as August (Image: Newsquest)

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Labour county councillor for the area Emma Corlett said she would be open to work at the site but that those living nearby had become "frustrated" with a lack of communication from developers.

She said: "Planning laws have been weakened over the last two years leaving locals and residents with very little say.

"I've been contacted by a number of frustrated residents about the developer's lack of communication.

"They only found out when the letter dropped through their door and we don't really have much detail on what they're going to do once it has been demolished.

"We've had some concern about what damage this may cause to their homes, but most people are concerned about what the plans actually are.

"We're calling on the developers to meet with locals and talk, we know they can pretty much do what they want, but people need to know what is going on.

"We're a reasonable bunch of councillors and they're a reasonable bunch of residents so let's get talking."

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A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said it would not be able to stop the demolition but would be able to determine the way it was demolished.

She said: “The city council has today (June 8) received a prior application for demolition of Victoria House.

“The council will have to determine this application, but is only able to consider the way in which the building is demolished, not whether it is demolished or not.”

Victoria House through the years

Prior to becoming offices the site was home to Norwich Victoria Station (Image: Newsquest)

More than 1,000 staff worked in Victoria House before the pandemic struck, at which point many began working from home.

When Marsh left for a new Broadland Business Park building in Thorpe St Andrew, it confirmed no jobs were lost as part of the move from it had been based for more than 50 years since the time it was known as Sedgwick.

An aerial shot of Norwich Victoria Station (Image: Newsquest)

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Prior to that, the site was part of Norwich Victoria Station on the old Great Eastern Main Line, the station closed in 1926.

Before the station, it was the site of Pablo Fanque's circus.

A blue plaque for Pablo Fanque in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Fanque was Britain's first black circus owner and a poster for one of his shows gave the Beatles' song Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite its title with the man himself getting a mention in the lyrics.