Benson & Forsyth has beaten HBMA, Rick Mather and Stanton Williams to design a £25 million retail and leisure development in Nottingham city centre. A planning application will be made in March, with completion anticipated by the end of 2006.

The £30 million transformation of Liverpool’s central library was thrown into doubt this week. The Victorian Society has objected to “radical” plans by Gaunt Francis to demolish part of the grade II building’s facade, and is in talks with the city council and English Heritage.

Kingston University has been granted £3 million from the Higher Education Funding Council to build a centre for excellence in teaching and learning, focusing on the built environment (pictured). The centre has been designed by Dannatt Johnson Architects.

US real-estate billionaire Richard Lefrak is in talks with Elliott Bernerd and Blackfriars Investments about bidding for the £1.5 billion regeneration of London’s Elephant & Castle. Other interested parties are thought to be Berkeley Group and American developer Hines.