New strategic development partnership to push forward city centre regeneration

Published: 9 February 2023

Derby City Council is seeking to develop a long-term partnership with a strategic development partner to drive forward key regeneration sites within the city centre, ensuring that current momentum is maintained and leveraging the full potential of Council-owned assets.

Derby is a city of growth and economic significance, representing a regional economy of around £15bn, a key centre of excellence in advanced manufacturing, and one of the UK’s most central and connected cities by rail, road and air. Not only is the city home to the primary UK sites of global industrial players such as Rolls Royce, Alstom and Toyota, but also a centre for technological innovation.

Despite this, the city centre does not currently reflect Derby’s economic status. Derby is on a journey to transform into a vibrant city centre with culture at its heart, already capitalising on several exciting opportunities. These include the Becketwell development, Market Hall redevelopment, Eastern Gateway project, HS2 East status for Derby rail station and the recently launched Derbion masterplan.

Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

We’re really excited at the prospect of working with a Strategic Development Partner with a strong track record who will support the redevelopment of key areas of the city which require urgent investment.

The partnership is a brilliant opportunity which will allow us to push forward with our ambitious plans for a vibrant city centre, delivering economic growth and attracting further private sector investment.

Several major projects are already underway, but this is only the start. Despite a ‘perfect storm’ of rising costs, abnormally high inflation rates and increasing demand which have resulted in unprecedented budget pressures, the Council is committed to exploring ways of maintaining momentum around the delivery of our city centre regeneration priorities.

A new vision is being developed for the city centre which incorporates culture, retail, living, workspace and learning, whilst also recognising the need for higher quality public and green spaces.

It is hoped that the partnership will combine the extensive innovation, insight and experience of a strong private sector delivery partner with the Council’s vision and understanding of the city’s needs. The partnership also represents an opportunity to attract further funding and investment which will drive forwards three key priorities:

Cultural Heart of the City - Primary regeneration and development opportunity around which we are seeking to collaborate with our selected partner.

The ‘Cultural Heart of the City’ is the term given to a prominent core city centre environment, centered around the Market Place, encompassing the newly refurbished Market Hall and the highly successful QUAD cinema, close to the River Derwent and the Cathedral.

The area includes several significant development sites owned by the Council, including the former Assembly Rooms site and attached multi-storey car park.

In January 2023, £20M of Government funding through the Levelling Up Fund was announced to support Derby City Council, University of Derby and Derby Theatre’s plans to redevelop the Assembly Rooms site into a nationally recognised learning theatre. This could not only transform the city centre, but also act as a catalyst and anchor for further commercial development in the Cultural Heart area.

Northern Gateway - An emerging development opportunity within the Cathedral Quarter, with the most significant sites, Queens Leisure Centre and Chapel Street multi-storey car park being owned by the Council.

Partially within the city centre conservation area, and including some locally listed buildings, the area benefits from key cultural assets including the home of Déda (a creative centre for dance and movement, backed by Arts Council England) and the Flowerpot public house, a well-established local live music venue.

Bold Lane – A vacant development site in the Cathedral Quarter and adjacent to Sadler Gate Studios, operated by Connect Derby (Derby City Council’s managed workspace operation). The site is also opposite the Bold Lane multi-storey car park.

If approved at Cabinet, expressions of interest to establish the level of interested partners are expected to open in March 2023, with invitations to bid being issued in April 2023. It is anticipated that a strategic development partner will be selected in late Summer 2023.

Business, Culture, Regeneration