Nottingham's new 'Rainbow Quarter' will make the city a "destination," a key architect of one of the UK's most popular Gay Villages has said.

The transformation of Hockley into a recognised LGBTQ+ district will bring investment and tourism into the city, as well as providing a space where people can feel comfortable, argues the man who was Manchester's first openly gay mayor, Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL.

Through his work leading the northern city's council back in 2016 and 2017 - and later as an LGBTQ+ advisor for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham - Carl played a key role in setting up Manchester's Gay Village, around Canal Street.

Since the 1960s, the area has grown into one of the world's most prominent districts for LGBTQ+ people and welcomes more than 150,000 visitors each August for the annual Manchester Pride event.

Now, Mr Austin-Behan is working with the team behind Hockley's Rainbow Quarter, offering advice and practical support in preparation for the project's launch.

Shedding new light on how it could be a gamechanger for the city, the veteran says Nottingham is in a "unique" position to set up an LGBTQ+ district compared to other cities.

"It will make it a safer space for the city's LGBTQ+ community, but it also means people will want to spend more time there," the former politician told Nottinghamshire Live.

"If you look at like Manchester's Gay Village, it's taken years and years to grow, but it's a destination. That means people want to do business in the area and also use it for leisure.

"It's also important for younger LGBTQ+ people to feel welcome and that they have a place to go to on a night out. Especially with the amount of students Nottingham has got now - if they see the rainbow flags they know they have got somewhere to go".

Broad Street will make up part of the 'Rainbow Quarter' in Hockley(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)

In July, Nottinghamshire Live exclusively revealed that streets around Hockley will make up the newly-formed area, in a style similar to the popular Gay Villages in Manchester and Birmingham.

The bustling area is already known as an important part of the city for LGBTQ+ people, having a high density of gay-friendly bars and venues and a proud history of gay activism dating back to the 1990s.

But campaigners, business experts and politicians have argued the area officially being known as the Rainbow Quarter will bring new visitors and investment into Nottingham and put the city "up there with the greats" of gay-friendly areas in the UK like Brighton.

The Rainbow Quarter area will cover Broad Street, Carlton Street, and Heathcote Street around Hockley, and is expected to be ready in time for the 2026 Nottinghamshire Pride event, in July.

Mr Austin-Behan says officially recognising the area as an LGBTQ+ district will bring many benefits - and it's something he's delighted to see finally get off the ground after previous failed attempts.

"It was first discussed around 10 years ago but it's been a case of people coming and going and I think it's great it's finally coming to fruition.

"It's great having the council behind it, which is willing to invest time and energy as opposed to just a group of people who think it's a good idea.

Manchester Pride 2023 gets into full swing in citys Gay Village.(Image: Manchester Evening News)

"It's about making sure it's not just a case of shoving a few rainbows up and people do need to feel that it's a safer space than any other area in Nottingham".

Hockley is steeped in LGBTQ+ history, dating back to the early 1990s, when The Health Shop, a centre which offered sexual health advice to gay men, opened.

Three years later, Sir Ian McKellen visited Broadway Cinema to launch The GAI Project, a gay and bisexual men’s HIV prevention initiative in Nottingham.

Broad Street was also home to the Mushroom Bookshop, which at the time was only one of a handful in Nottingham that openly sold gay and lesbian literature and newspapers, including the Gay Times.

"It's about ensuring that the district is not just a night-time place as well," Mr Austin-Behan added. "I'd love to see in Manchester that we actually got rid of some of the takeaways and turned those places into creating a bit more of a café culture.

"It's about having a few art galleries or bookshops and spreading it out a little bit - that's what's unique about what is being done in Nottingham.

"There's a blank canvas as opposed to it being just nightclubs and bars". The last time a UK city gained an official LGBTQ+ zone was in 2021, when Liverpool's Stanley Street Quarter was rebranded as the Pride Quarter.