Derby FutureScape

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: 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...

After many a false start, we finally have plans on the table for a comprehensive redevelopment of the Becketwell area. View of the development from The Strand The initial planning application is for two residential buildings to replace the old Debenhams and the United Reformed Church buildings on Victora Street, the tallest of which will be 19 storeys in height. View of the development on Victoria Street One of the blocks would contain 246 apartments with a café use on the ground level, while the second block would contain 96 apartments over a commercial retail unit. They would be build to rent apartments and feature residents lounge areas and a roof terrace. Car parking is provided at the rear. The 19 storey residential tower overlooking a new public square The development would overlook a new public square and would be the first element to be developed in the 'Becketwell' area that will also cover the former Pennine Hotel building, Duckworth Square and bu...

While reports of the death of the High Street may be a little premature, British High Streets are certainly under threat. Last years Portas Review, was at least recognition that something needs to change. One of the 28 recommendations was that all new out of town development should stop. This simple step may go some way to stop the rot but what is really needed is for new "in-town" development, and Portas identifies a number of ideas to try and bring back some vitality. St Peters Street is Derby’s classic high street and like many other high streets across the country, it is suffering. It is however, an immensely important street for the City - acting as the ribbon connecting the various shopping areas and its health is vital if the city centre is to operate as an effective whole.   St. Peters Street - Derby's classic 'high street'   The "Westfield Effect" (where retailers flee one part of the city to inhabit a new shiny shopping centre...

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 ...