Becket Well - Towards a New Future

The Becket Well area has long been neglected and is truly an eyesore. Even before Debenhams deserted it for the gleaming new Westfield, the area was blighted by a poor environment and a lack of coordinated vision. Plans for redevelopment have come and gone, nothing more than promises unfulfilled.


The opening of Westfield has changed the fabric of the city centre. A fact which needs to be both acknowledged and understood. The Council’s vision for the regeneration of Becket Well was retail led, but with the core retail area now shifting to the east of the city, there would seem little opportunity for this type of development.

Anyone want an old department store?

But the area is still important to Derby city centre. Victoria Street is still a major route through the city and while not now in the main retail core, Becket Well remains on the retail fringes and a stones throw from the major retail shopping thoroughfare of St. Peters Street. Retail should still play a part in the regeneration of the area but it can’t be the star of the show.

While Westfield has been blamed for the retail shift in the city, Pride Park could also be accused of successfully leaching commercial development from the city centre for the last 10 years or so. But as Pride Park nears capacity, perhaps it is time to learn from its success and apply the winning formula to Becket Well?

The future of Becket Well could be the birth of a new commercial district for the city.

Duckworth Square - before demolition

Present day Becket Well - the blank canvas

The Becket Well redevelopment area should be defined as wide as possible. From Green Lane to the east, Victoria Street and the Wardwick to the north, Becket Street to the west and Macklin Street to the south, the area easily lends it self to a series of development ‘plots’ ideally suited to a phased development.  The existing historic street plan could largely be retained but with a notable new road which would link Becket Street with Colyear Street and therefore improve access to the centre of the site. This would of course mean the demolition of Laurie House, which would remove a truly negative presence in the area.

Laurie House - Time to go?

My proposal therefore would be an office led development for Becket Well, delivered in phases according to a masterplan as follows:

Phase 1: The former Debenhams store would be redeveloped as a major office scheme, possibly retaining the frontage with retail on the ground floor and with offices on the upper floors, maybe up to six storeys high. The development would be set around a central courtyard with pedestrian access from the curved corner (Green Lane / Victoria Street). A relocated church building (United Reform Church) would be located on the first and second floors at one corner of the development. The church could double as a conference space when not in use. A new multi storey car park (about 250 spaces) would be accessed by car from Becket Well Lane. Pedestrians would have access from the courtyard and at the other end of the car park which would lead to Green Lane through an existing archway further increasing accessibility into the site. The new car park would be direct replacement for the existing parking at Laurie House and support the new development as well as supporting the retail areas of Green Lane and St. Peters Churchyard.

Phase 2: The woefully poor Boots shop on Victoria Street would be demolished and replaced with a new landmark retail / office building on a larger footprint to provide a focal point for views down Victoria Street and also to act as a ‘gateway’ into the centre of the Becket Well site which would be formed as a new square. The square would be landscaped to a high quality – think Birminghams Brindley Place - and include the re-siting of the actual Becket Well.

Birmingham's Brindley Place - an inspiration for Becket Well?

Phase 3: A small area of housing would be built on the corner of Macklin Street and Becket Well Lane. They would be set around a courtyard with access off Becket Well Lane to both the new housing and the rear of Green Lane and the new car park. The lane would be called Summer Hill Lane – the original name for a lane in this area.

Phase 4: Laurie House would be demolished and a new access road created between Colyear Street and Becket Street. Two distinct plots would be formed which would be developed as office buildings with basement parking.

Phase 5: The Heritage hotel would be demolished and replaced with office development or possible residential on the Macklin Street frontage.

Phase 6: The southern part of the former Duckworth Square site would be developed as a landmark office building with possible residential on the Macklin Street frontage.

Phase 7: The telephone exchange office block would be replaced by office buildings.

The thin red line - limiting the development potential of Becket Well

But could this development ever happen? The main problem would be one of land ownership. The former Duckworth Square site - the central area - is currently up for sale by Rigby and Co. A potential investor would want to maximise their return by fully utilising the entire 1.3 acre site and not by using half the plot as a new public space - Becket Well Square - as I propose. However, developing the site in isolation and not being able to take a wider view is likely to lead to similar problems that beset Duckworth Square. While it might make an investor a profit on their investment it would ultimately short change Derby of the added value that a comprehensive development of Becket Well area could bring.