St Peters Quarter set for funding boost
The city council is going to submit a Business Case to ask for funding from the governments ‘Future High Street Fund’ for the ‘St Peters Quarter’ area of the city centre to tackle the gap between the Intu centre and the Cathedral Quarter.
The fund is designed to help councils develop their centres so they can adapt to the changing retail environment. For Derby this investment will be centred on St Peters Street, East Street, Albert Street and Victoria Street, with particular emphasis on the gateways into this area. There isn’t much detail in the plans yet but this is what is known at the moment:
This sounds great. Let’s look into the detail of what this could look like.
Eastern Gateway
This Morledge / East Street junction is fairly depressing. The latest addition to the area (In 2007) – the Riverlights / bus station complex – has added a bit of interest (and height) but the Eagle Market / Castle and Falcon pub frontage is poor and the opposite corner is underwhelming.
I’m not sure what Intu have in mind for the Eagle Market space, as the market certainly does not fill it, but this is really a key development site for the city. It is now fully owned by Intu and while a small(er) market on the site could be retained there is scope for a wider redevelopment of the area - and the pub has to go of course. That being said, there is certainly a risk of merely spending money to tart up something which is fundamentally a negative asset, however in the absence of any known plan for the site, any intervention to make the area more welcoming and alive is a positive.
Ideally I would like to see the Eagle Market entrance developed into a building with a bit of height, as a focal counterweight to the overbearing green hulk of a car park behind it. The ‘Millets’ building on the opposite corner could be increased in height with a modest two floor roof extension, to give some balance, and a façade treatment to brighten it up.
Let’s be honest, this ‘gateway’ isn’t (and never will be) the finest example of great architecture and urban design. Why not throw caution to the wind and make this juncture the Piccadilly Circus/Times Square of Derby?
St Peters Street – City Living
This has to be about rejuvenating the stalled Audley Centre city living development. The proposal, back in 2016, was for the redevelopment of the Audley Centre into 48 apartments with retail on the ground floor. It would have seen a 3 storey roof extension bringing a bit of height back to this part of Derby. It gained planning permission in 2018, but so far nothing has come of it. A bit of funding would do the job of getting this project back on track and hopefully kick start some other city living schemes off the ground as well.
Northern Gateway - Market Hall
The Market Hall is currently under renovation. I can’t find out much of what is planned, other than what is in the objectives of the business case, namely the ‘transformation to a new food, leisure and flexible niche market’ and also to include a ‘Make and Trade Zone pilot’. Sounds good but not sure what a make and trade zone is. The project is also to include the ‘Osnabruck Square’ (Northern gateway), although they refer to it as ‘Friendship Square’. Has the name changed?
Interestingly, the 'Laura Ashley' building to the left of the entrance has been acquired by Artcore, who will be transforming the space into a modern gallery and artist studios; with a 'creative cafe' and retail space for local makers to sell their products..
Anyway, yes agreed the square could do with refreshing but what concerns me most with this area is the area between the Market Hall, Quad and Corporation Street. Known as Sir Peter Hilton Memorial Garden, and once the scene of the famous Derby ‘hole’, this public space fails on many levels. Any activity or atmosphere on ‘Friendship Square’ invariably leeches out into this non-descript and boundless space.
First we need to remove the roundabout to create a larger developable area and find a use for the site that encloses the block with interesting active frontages. In the past there have been ideas for a winter garden to be on the site, ala Sheffield Winter Gardens. I’d be all for that, and maybe linked in to the Market Hall providing an all-weather link, or maybe, like in Sheffield, developing the winter garden in conjunction with a top class hotel. Or is that going back to the future?
Becketwell Public Square
The existing proposal has already been given £1.4M so any extra from this fund should ensure a quality public realm. It is good that the Council and St James Securities who hopefully will be developing the site, seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on creating a good quality public square rather than this being an afterthought. This bodes well for the rest of the proposed development. I have blogged about it here.
All in all this seems very positive for the St Peters Quarter which for too long seems to have been neglected, yet actually is a really important element of the city centre.
The fund is designed to help councils develop their centres so they can adapt to the changing retail environment. For Derby this investment will be centred on St Peters Street, East Street, Albert Street and Victoria Street, with particular emphasis on the gateways into this area. There isn’t much detail in the plans yet but this is what is known at the moment:
- Eastern Gateway: transforming the entrance to the Eagle Market and creating a more welcoming arrival from the bus station.
- St Peters Street – City Living: the development of a ‘prominent retail pitch’ into city homes.
- Northern Gateway - Market Hall: Transforming the market to a new food, leisure and flexible niche market and revitalising the ‘Osnabruck Square’ entrance, creating a better link between the Cathedral Quarter and Intu.
- Becketwell Public Square: increased funding to deliver the public square as part of the current Becketwell re-development plans.
This sounds great. Let’s look into the detail of what this could look like.
Eastern Gateway
This Morledge / East Street junction is fairly depressing. The latest addition to the area (In 2007) – the Riverlights / bus station complex – has added a bit of interest (and height) but the Eagle Market / Castle and Falcon pub frontage is poor and the opposite corner is underwhelming.
I’m not sure what Intu have in mind for the Eagle Market space, as the market certainly does not fill it, but this is really a key development site for the city. It is now fully owned by Intu and while a small(er) market on the site could be retained there is scope for a wider redevelopment of the area - and the pub has to go of course. That being said, there is certainly a risk of merely spending money to tart up something which is fundamentally a negative asset, however in the absence of any known plan for the site, any intervention to make the area more welcoming and alive is a positive.
Ideally I would like to see the Eagle Market entrance developed into a building with a bit of height, as a focal counterweight to the overbearing green hulk of a car park behind it. The ‘Millets’ building on the opposite corner could be increased in height with a modest two floor roof extension, to give some balance, and a façade treatment to brighten it up.
 |
| Riverlights and the Market entrance (to the right) at night |
St Peters Street – City Living
This has to be about rejuvenating the stalled Audley Centre city living development. The proposal, back in 2016, was for the redevelopment of the Audley Centre into 48 apartments with retail on the ground floor. It would have seen a 3 storey roof extension bringing a bit of height back to this part of Derby. It gained planning permission in 2018, but so far nothing has come of it. A bit of funding would do the job of getting this project back on track and hopefully kick start some other city living schemes off the ground as well.
 |
| Audley Centre apartment development - back on track? |
Northern Gateway - Market Hall
The Market Hall is currently under renovation. I can’t find out much of what is planned, other than what is in the objectives of the business case, namely the ‘transformation to a new food, leisure and flexible niche market’ and also to include a ‘Make and Trade Zone pilot’. Sounds good but not sure what a make and trade zone is. The project is also to include the ‘Osnabruck Square’ (Northern gateway), although they refer to it as ‘Friendship Square’. Has the name changed?
 |
| The Market Hall - northern gateway |
Anyway, yes agreed the square could do with refreshing but what concerns me most with this area is the area between the Market Hall, Quad and Corporation Street. Known as Sir Peter Hilton Memorial Garden, and once the scene of the famous Derby ‘hole’, this public space fails on many levels. Any activity or atmosphere on ‘Friendship Square’ invariably leeches out into this non-descript and boundless space.
First we need to remove the roundabout to create a larger developable area and find a use for the site that encloses the block with interesting active frontages. In the past there have been ideas for a winter garden to be on the site, ala Sheffield Winter Gardens. I’d be all for that, and maybe linked in to the Market Hall providing an all-weather link, or maybe, like in Sheffield, developing the winter garden in conjunction with a top class hotel. Or is that going back to the future?
Becketwell Public Square
The existing proposal has already been given £1.4M so any extra from this fund should ensure a quality public realm. It is good that the Council and St James Securities who hopefully will be developing the site, seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on creating a good quality public square rather than this being an afterthought. This bodes well for the rest of the proposed development. I have blogged about it here.
 |
| Becketwell Public Square - quality public realm |
All in all this seems very positive for the St Peters Quarter which for too long seems to have been neglected, yet actually is a really important element of the city centre.
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