Providing new homes

Overview

Providing decent, sufficient and affordable housing is one of the priorities in our Council Plan 2025-2028.

We have a high level of need for affordable housing in Derby so look at opportunities to build or acquire new homes.

We have our own development programme as well as working with other registered providers in the city. Our target is to deliver an average of 100 new homes a year through our own programme. This includes some homes that we buy on the open market, some that we build ourselves and some that we acquire from developers.

All properties for rent will be advertised on Derby Homefinder when they are available – we do not take other enquiries on availability.

You can find details of some of our development sites following

If you need to contact us about the construction or planning of sites, please email housing.development@derby.gov.uk.

Warwick House, Littleover

Mercer Building Solutions are building 22 new Council homes for rent on this site of a former care home, with a mixture of one, two and four bedrooms. The homes will have a high level of energy efficiency, to reduce carbon emissions and keep bills low.

Work started on site in October 2024, and is due to be completed in the autumn of 2025.

Warwick House 3D, Littleover

Warwick House build, Littleover April 2025

The Knoll, Sunny Hill

This site formerly housed a care home, but had been vacant for many years and become very overgrown. Mercer Building Solutions are building 17 houses for us on this site, with a mixture of 1, 2 and 4 bedrooms. Work began in July 2024 and is due to be completed in autumn 2025. This site is partly funded by the Brownfield Land Release Fund through the One Public Estate partnership.

When work is completed, we will re-open the pedestrian access to Normanton Lodge, with improved lighting and security for residents. There will also be extensive planting to create a habitat area around the perimeter of the site. 

Knoll House elevation

Knoll House build 

In addition, we will be carrying out works to stabilise and repair the historic wall running along the Stenson Road boundary.

We thank local residents for their patience while the footpath has been closed for safety reasons, pending these repair works.

Brentford Drive, Mackworth

This site is one of four being constructed for the Council by Mercer Building Solutions. It consists of six 2 bedroom houses, which are highly insulated and energy efficient. This will reduce carbon emissions and keep bills low for residents.

The properties were handed over in July 2025.

Brentford Drive build, Mackworth.

Drewry Lane car park, central Derby

This site was a car park that got very little use. We decided to redevelop the site to provide six 2 bedroom houses and six 1 bedroom apartments. Due to noise from the inner ring road, the properties are designed with enhanced glazing and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR).

Mercer Building Solutions are currently building the scheme, which is due to be completed in early 2026.

This site is partly funded by the Brownfield Land Release Fund through the One Public Estate partnership.

Drewry Lane car park, central Derby build

Barlow Street, Osmaston

Tanbry Construction have recently started work on this site to create 12 three bedroom apartments. These will be highly efficient properties with electric heating.

Work is due to be completed in summer 2026.

Barlow Street 3D, Osmaston 

Blackmore Street, Sunny Hill

Mercer Building Solutions will begin work here in summer 2025 on a major development of 36 bungalows. The bungalows will be a mixture of one, two and three bedrooms, and will be easily adaptable over time as peoples’ needs change. They will be highly insulated and energy efficient to keep costs as low as possible for residents.

We expect that some will be attractive to Council tenants looking to downsize, who would then release a Council home for another family.

The development is due to be completed in early 2027.

Blackmore Street 3D, Sunny Hill

Future council housing developments

We regularly review Council property that may be surplus to requirements, to see if we could redevelop it to provide new homes. Sometimes it takes a long time before we can start building on a site. We need to investigate issues such as land ownership and title, and technical matters like noise or flood risk that may affect whether we can get planning permission.

Here are some of the projects we are currently working on.

Duke Street, central Derby

This site overlooks the River Derwent. We now have planning permission for twelve townhouses. These are an innovative design, with no habitable rooms on the ground floor, to mitigate the residual risk of flooding. We are working to discharge the planning conditions and appoint a contractor to build the new homes.

Crompton Street, central Derby

This site has planning permission for six flats. We have demolished the outdated garages on site and we are currently preparing to tender for a building contractor.

Oaklands Avenue / Blagreaves Avenue, Littleover

This site is currently a hardstanding at the corner of a parade of shops. We have planning permission for six flats here, and we are currently preparing to tender for a building contractor.

Bute Walk, Chaddesden

This is a former children’s home. We have planning permission to build five houses here. We plan to demolish the existing building in summer 2025 and begin building in 2026.

Bateman Street, Osmaston

This was the former site of Ivy House School, and is now disused. We are working on designs for up to 17 houses, and we expect to submit a planning application in summer 2025.

Heron Way, Mickleover

We are currently demolishing the former Bramblebrook House care home, and our intent is to use this site for an Extra Care development for older and disabled people. This is in accordance with our Older Persons Housing Strategy.

This is a complex and high value project, and we are currently working on the best way to fund and deliver it.