Derby City Council Archives - Planning Design Ltd

All the world’s a stage, Derby’s theatrical tradition

16th April 2024 by Gary Stringer

With the exciting news that plans for two of Derby’s much-loved theatres are set to move forward, our Heritage Consultant Ruth Gray takes a look back at some of the city’s other performance venues and the theatrical tradition within the city.

Derby’s theatrical tradition

It was recently announced that plans to restore the Guildhall Theatre and enhance Derby Theatre are set to take an important step forward.
Derby City Council’s cabinet is expected to agree terms for the use of £20 million of government Levelling Up Funding allocated to Derby.

The funding will be split evenly between the Guildhall Theatre and Derby Theatre.

It is expected that the two projects combined will generate an additional £2.7 million per year for the local economy, and contribute significantly to the development of Derby’s cultural offering. Work is already well underway on the new purpose built, 3,500 capacity entertainment and events space, the Becketwell Performance venue that forms part of the £200m Becketwell regeneration scheme, and major renovations are nearing completion on Derby’s historic Market Hall, itself undergoing a £35.1m refurbishment project, which when complete is expected to generate £3.64m for the local economy each year.

Like most cities, Derby has provided a variety of theatrical establishments to entertain and opportunities to tread the boards, for many stars of stage and screen. A pre–Bond Sean Connery was shaking and stirring audiences in an early role in a production of South Pacific at Derby Hippodrome in 1954, while Derby’s Grand Theatre, which once stood on Babington Lane, was the site of the world premiere of Hamilton Deane’s adaptation of Dracula, on 15 May 1924. Bela Lugosi, the Hungarian-American actor who played the role in the 1931 film, visited Derby in 1951 to star in a revival of the play at the Hippodrome Theatre.

Further back in time, before dedicated theatre’s, large rooms in pubs were useful for theatrical performances, music hall and dancing masters hired their rooms too. Plays were performed in the county hall and the venues such as the George Public House in Iron Gate.

James Whitely in 1773 adapted a malthouse in Bold lane with a façade and ornate interior this creating Derby’s first theatre. Performances were timed to coincide with the races in order to attract the gentry. Attendances fell as industrialisation took place and the gentry could take the train to London instead. Derby’s first theatre fell out of use and was taken over to become a trans denominational gospel hall, until eventually being used by the council, initially as a library then as a magistrate’s court. Most recently the building was a Thai restaurant and is about to see a new lease of life as city centre offices.

The corn exchange housed the Palace Theatre of Varieties, in 1886 Andrew Melville opened a purpose built Grand Theatre in Babington lane which burnt down within the month. A phoenix from the flames, it was rebuilt bigger and better and over the next 64 years it hosted some of the biggest names in British entertainment. Redecorated in 1948 its lack of seating capacity meant it closed in 1950.

The Hippodrome designed by Alexander MacPherson opened in 1913 on Green Lane and catered for the music hall style of entertainment. It had a short life and also became a cinema in 1930 before closing in 1959. It reopened as a bingo hall until 2007. Sadly the Hippodrome has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2006, having suffered significant damage including acts of vandalism and arson.

The original Assembly Rooms building was built between 1765 and 1774. This was another building that was destroyed by a fire in 1963. The new Assembly Rooms was opened in 1977 by the Queen Mother. On Friday 14 March 2014, the Assembly Rooms was again hit by a fire in the plant room above the Assembly Rooms car park, which adjoins the building. This fire destroyed the plant room and made the Assembly Rooms unusable. To mark the tenth anniversary of the fire, Derby City Council has announced that the site of the long-closed venue will pave the way for a massive redevelopment project, marking a significant step towards the regeneration of the Market Place, as a new cultural, commercial, and creative public space that will feature a multi-functional building, with spaces for meeting, working, and creating alongside restaurant and commercial space.

The Guildhall ceased to function as the local of seat of government when the town council moved to the Council House in 1949, and the vacated Guildhall was converted for use as a theatre in 1975, remaining so until January 2019.

The original Derby Playhouse had opened as the Little Theatre in a converted church hall on Becket Street in 1948. After touring around a few premises the Derby Playhouse was given funding to build a permanent home within the Eagle Centre and was officially opened on 20 September 1975. Following a few years of financial uncertainty the Derby Playhouse was bought by the University of Derby and became the Derby Theatre in 2009.

Both Derby Theatre and the Guildhall Theatre are inline to receive £10 million each in funding. For the Guildhall, this will contribute to the restoration of the Grade II listed building and be used to remodel the auditorium increasing the seating capacity to around 280, and to renovate the back of house facilities to make the venue more accessible. Derby Theatre’s £10 million allocation will enable the theatre and the University of Derby to complete phase one of its New Horizons project, delivering a state-of-the-art accessible studio theatre and Learning and Research Hub.

With the curtain having fallen on so many of Derby’s entertainment venues, these are exciting developments continuing Derby’s theatrical tradition, and exciting times for the city, combining with a number of redevelopments projects that are putting Derby centre stage and in the spotlight.

Ruth Gray, Heritage Consultant, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Main Image: Marketing Derby

Derby Market Hall – Restored and ready for business

12th December 2023 by Gary Stringer

As thoughts turn towards December 25th, and Christmas shopping for the big day, many Derby residents may well be missing their trip to the Derby Market Hall, to stock up on greeting cards and gifts, poultry and panettone. Derby Market Hall which opened on May 29th, 1866, cost £29,000 to build, and is a rare fine example of a Victorian Market Hall. An iconic landmark in the city centre, it is currently closed and being refurbished at a cost of £35 million. This site has a very long history of trading and community engagement, one that stretches back centuries.

At the end of the 16th century Derby had a population of 2000-2500. Many of these were involved in crafts and trades, or were retailers living in and around Irongate, the Market Place and Sadlergate. There was a baker’s shop in Babington Lane, butchers’ stalls in the Market Place, and tailors living on the Morledge. Cloth working was the town’s staple industry, and tailors and cloth workers had their own trade company¹.

Previously the site of the Market Hall had been part of the Town Improvement Act when architect Matthew Habershon created a new market area behind the Guild Hall around 1835. It already contained permanent stalls, shops, a butter, egg and vegetable market but by the 1860’s this had become inadequate and it was cleared and built anew².

Work on building the Market Hall was begun in 1864 with the laying of the foundation stone. It is a lofty and spacious tunnel vaulted space, built of red brick with stone dressings; and has semi-circular headed windows in arched recesses. The centre slightly projects and is of rusticated stone with a blind arch at each side and arched doorway at the centre. The sides have stone-coped brick parapets and centre a moulded cornice and open balustrade. An impressive interior which has an iron and glass barrel-vaulted roof with a central lantern light. The designer was Borough Surveyor Robert Thorburn, modified, after structural weaknesses had been noted, by his successor Edwin Thompson³.

The iron roof of Derby Market Hall covers an area of 220ft x 110ft. The roof span is 86ft 6ins with an apex at 64ft. The Derby Market Hall roof was built from cast iron and wrought-iron components. These were prefabricated by J. & G Haywood & Co of Phoenix Foundry, Derby (whose company was just over the Derwent on Nottingham Road).

Seventy years later, in the 1930s borough architect Herbert Aslin refitted the interior of the Market Hall with new stalls, this allowed the council to raise the rents.

These remained for around sixty years, until 1989 when further remedial work from Robert Thorburns work needed to be resolved, and new stalls were installed. Workmen discovered unique traces of Derby’s history during the renovation work. A well six feet and 30 feet deep was uncovered, which may have served the buildings that stood on the site prior to 1864. Tunnels were discovered running between the Lock Up Yard and the Guildhall. Experts believe they were probably used to move prisoners between the two areas⁴.

Barely thirty years later those market stalls were again in need of replacing and the building was in need of much needed repairs. Extreme weather such as strong winds, snow, or heavy rain caused a risk that the glass windows might came out of their frames.

This need for renovation presented the Council with an opportunity to transform the Grade II listed building into a contemporary and vibrant destination that will attract visitors from the region and beyond, and act as a showcase for the “Best of Derbyshire”. By linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter to the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the transformed Market Hall is intended to serve as a flexible space used for entertainment and restaurants as well as markets offering the best of the region’s independent shopping, food and drink.

The first phase began with extensive roof and structural restoration of its cast iron, copper and glass roof. This was finished in August 2022 and needed a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales to complete the works.

During these renovations two-time capsules have been discovered by the contractors. They date from 1864 and 1938, the time of the previous renovations. These the time capsules have gone on display at the Derby Local Studies Library, in Full Street, as part of an exhibition, which will run until 16 January.

As one of the most prominent buildings in our city centre, and one envisaged to play such a central role in Derby’s future, the Council have grand ambitions for the revamped Market Hall to function as a seven-days-a-week destination for Derbyshire’s culinary and creative businesses. Equipped with facilities to include a bar and cosmopolitan food court, co-working space, gallery and performance spaces, the Market Hall aims to become a place people want to visit and spend time in again and again.

Time will tell how long this version of the Derby Market Hall will remain but if history tells us anything it is that this Derbyshire icon will continue to serve as a commercial and cultural centre, celebrating the heritage and spirit of innovation that are so distinctive to the region for centuries to come.

Ruth Gray, Heritage Consultant, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

References – Derby Market Hall:

1: Derbyshire Historic Environment Record MDR11254 – Medieval town, Derby

2: M. Craven. Derby An Illustrated History.

3: Derbyshire Historic Environment Record MDR10367 – Market Hall, Market Place, Derby

4: BBC News: Victorian Derby Market Hall celebrates 150 years

Heritage Project Update – Summer 2022

23rd January 202316th August 2022 by Gary Stringer

In his latest Heritage Project update, Jon Millhouse, both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation provides the latest information on several of the interesting heritage and conservation projects that Planning & Design Practice are currently engaged with.

As seen on TV…

We very much enjoyed seeing three of our projects feature in Ben Fogle’s “Make a New Life in the Country” TV programme which aired on Channel 5 on August 2nd. The program followed our clients John and Heather Bailey as they worked to develop their sheep farm at Heage, new home at Fritchley and sheep dairy and creamery at Crich, all of which we obtained planning and listed building consent for. We wish the Bailey’s every success in their new ventures.

City Lab opens for business

The Derby City Lab -an urban room style exhibition space to showcase Derby history and future projects -has opened its doors to the public. A joint venture by Derby City Council, Marketing Derby and the University of Derby and Latham’s, the City Lab is strategically situated on St James’s Street between the Market place and the new Becketwell development, both sites of ambitious redevelopment projects themselves. We are pleased to have contributed, having obtained listed building consent on behalf of the owners Clowes Developments for the restoration and reuse of the premises.

Work underway at Belper Rugby Club

We are delighted to see that work has commenced on the new extension to Belper Rugby Club clubhouse. We helped to design and obtain planning consent for the project, located in the heart of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The extension will allow the club to host events, generate more revenue and become more sustainable.

PDP_Belper Rugby Club — Belper Rugby Club’s clubhouse

Lost railings to be reinstated

It is a widely known fact that many of the ornate iron railings which once adorned the boundary walls of grand houses in the UK were removed and melted down in the Second World War. Few have ever returned. We are therefore pleased to have obtained listed building consent for the reinstatement of lost railings at the Eden Nesfield designed arts and crafts lodge house at Leawood Hall, Holloway, and look forward to seeing them reappear after an absence of 80 years.

Historical Photo of Leawood Hall railings

History of the river Derwent through Derby

I was privileged to give an enjoyable talk in July to the Darley Abbey Historical Group on the past present and future of the river Derwent in Derby. The talk was well attended and prompted a lively and thought-provoking discussion on this fascinating topic. Thank you to those who attended.

^{From Left to Right: Derby Council House and Exeter Bridge, River Derwent weir and Derby Council House, Handyside Bridge, Museum of Making formerly The Silk Mill.}

For updates on these projects and more information on all things planning and architecture related, as well as expert advice and opinion, sign up to receive our free Monthly Newsletter.

Jon Millhouse, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Main Image: Pi Productions UK

Listed Building application delivers Derby City Lab

28th November 202220th July 2022 by Gary Stringer

Derby City Lab is a new space designed to engage local people in the city’s future that has recently opened in the city centre, thanks to a partnership between Marketing Derby, the University of Derby, Derby City Council and Lathams.

Planning & Design Practice have submitted a Listed Building application on behalf of Clowes Developments, one of the UK’s largest privately-owned property investment and development organisations, for the restoration of 19-21 St. James’s Street, in Derby, enabling the creation of this new “City Lab”.

The City Lab is based on the concept of ‘urban rooms’, which have appeared in various cities around the world to help local communities better understand the evolution of their place and engage them in shaping its future.

The space will house Marketing Derby’s Investor Showcase and a rolling programme of exhibitions focused on future pipeline projects and ideas. The inaugural exhibition is hosted by Down to Earth Derby and will feature visions for a greener city produced by the world-leading Eden Project. Subsequent exhibitions will present updates by Derby City Council and the University of Derby.

The unit, which has been provided courtesy of Clowes Developments, is adjacent to the city’s regeneration frontline, close to the £200 million Becketwell scheme. It is also close to Marketing Derby’s new office location at Staton Young’s CUBO Derby site, in Victoria Street.

Planning & Design Practice obtained planning and listed building consent for the CUBO office complex, allowing one of Derby’s grandest Victorian buildings to be converted from a derelict former nightclub to a premier workspace.

Recent years has seen the elevated importance of heritage matters and the need for heritage impact assessments on a larger number of projects.

A listed building is any building nominated by the Secretary of State as a being off national importance for its historic or architectural value. A Listed Building Application is required to carry out any changes to either the interior or exterior and the applicant must demonstrate that they have understood and conserved the historic significance of the building.

Listed Building applications are just one of the specialised heritage services offered by our team, with successes in both town and country.

Since 2018 we have been commissioned by Wildhive, a boutique hospitality brand to provide planning consultancy services on proposals for Callow Hall, a Grade II listed Victorian country house hotel providing luxury accommodation for tourism and business.

The first venture for Wildhive, the hotel is nestled in 35 acres of gardens, wild meadow and woodland. We have advised on a number of exciting projects at Callow Hall including woodland cabins or ‘Hives’, a modern garden room extension; conversion of the coach house to a wellbeing centre and internal and external alterations to reconfigure and sympathetically modernise the main building.

Ca llow Hal l was crowned the UK’s best place to stay by Sunday Times in 2021.

We also have a Listed Building Application in with South Derbyshire District Council for the first phase of the proposed £35 million restoration and transformation of Elvaston Castle Country Park.

Having worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, we have the in-house expertise to ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites. For more information and a no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01332 347371 or email enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk

Sweeping success with retrospective approval

28th November 202219th January 2022 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice are pleased that retrospective planning approval has been granted for the installation of flues and chimneys on an industrial unit in Derby’s Pride Park. The unit in question is occupied by our client, who provide a comprehensive range of analytical services for the pharmaceutical industry. The flues are needed to exhaust gas out from sterility isolators, used to in the testing of pharmaceutical products.

Thankfully the flues in question blended in well with the existing nature of the industrial unit and the surrounding area of Derby’s Pride Park, making the retrospective application a straightforward one.

Members of the Planning & Design Practice team visited the industrial unit in order to gain a greater understanding of the project, and the surrounding area. While on the site visit, they carried out a measured survey of the elevations of the building amongst a range of things. This enabled the architectural design team to later create technical drawings using a CAD based software to show the scale and location of the flues and chimneys on the industrial unit. These then helped to inform and shape the application that was then sent to the planners at Derby City Council.

This project highlights the benefit of a multi-disciplinary practice, with seamless communication between both architects and planners, ensuring projects receive the highest level of quality and expertise. For this client, it meant that there was no need to outsource parts of the project, which can make projects harder to follow for those directly involved or other stakeholders.

On top of this success, it was a personal triumphant for two of Planning & Design Practice’s newest additions. This retrospective approval was Matthew Kempster and Shaun Hyde’s first application and subsequently first approval since joining the team in late 2021. The first of many, we’re sure!

Planning & Design Practice have a wealth of experience in designing and securing planning permission for commercial projects. We have the required skills to design both small- and large-scale schemes in-house and tailor the design to our client’s unique specifications. If you are unsure of your site’s potential, we are also able to provide our professional opinion on the planning potential of your property at the outset. For a no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property please get in touch on 01332 347371 or at enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk.

Secretary of State to decide fate of Derby Assembly Rooms

29th November 202226th April 2021 by Gary Stringer

Councillors have backed controversial plans to demolish the 1970s Derby Assembly Rooms but have handed the final decision to the Secretary of State. Planning & Design Practice Ltd Managing Director Jonathan Jenkin writes about this latest development.

In a personal capacity I objected to the demolition of the Derby Assembly rooms because I felt that the building could be retained either as a venue or be available for re-purposing. I spoke at the meeting and I asked members consider using the building as part of the revival of the city centre rather than turning their backs on the building. The council has declared a climate emergency. Demolishing this building and building new will exacerbate climate change not reduce it and will see the waste of a building which could be re-purposed or continue to be used.

The reason the council want to demolish the building is that the proposed major refurbishment of the building has become too expensive. This refurbishment is not about re-opening the doors, it is to re-make the Assembly Rooms as a performance venue that is future proof rather than being willing to use what is there. The refurbishment would take at least a couple of years and the costs have ballooned because the works must last at least 15 years and that brings into question the original construction of the building.

It is complex situation but the council has not looked at repairing what is there and opening the doors. We need to revive the city centre now and the building can help and not hinder the revival as it will do if it is abandoned. In 2014 the building was operating and was safe. The ground floor of the building continued to be used until 2018 and parts of the building could be re-opened tomorrow and thus breathe new life into Market Square.

The council are committing to the proposed Becketwell venue on the edge of the city centre and there is no need for two city centre performance venues. This I believe has affected the decision making process and make the Assembly Rooms seem less important. It must be considered that the St James Securities venue may never be built and while waiting for the new venue the Assembly Rooms will deteriorate and the city centre will suffer.

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State. This provides a second opportunity to object to the proposed demolition. I call on all those who want to save the building to push for a further report on the building with the aim of re-opening the doors and in the meantime for the council to re-open those parts of the building including providing short term leases for the former restaurant and the tourist information centre so these and any other parts of the building can re-open this summer.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Robert Evans – Save the Assembly Rooms

29th November 202216th February 2021 by Gary Stringer

PDP_Rob Evans Save the Assembly Rooms, Derby Assembly Rooms

Writing for Planning & Design Practice Ltd, Architect Robert Evans from Evans Vettori outlines why he believes Derby’s iconic Assembly Rooms should be saved and repurposed as the heart of the city’s Market Square.

As a local architect, in practice in Derbyshire for over 25 years, I strongly object to the current proposal to demolish the Assembly Rooms. I have spent many happy evenings in the venue enjoying music, pantomime and beer festivals. This building is arguably the finest 20th century building in the City of Derby.

Whilst its so-called ‘70s Brutalist’ style is currently unfashionable, as time passes, it will inevitably be re-evaluated as has happened with other once controversial styles. There can be no doubt that Post-War architecture is increasingly appreciated by a wider public.

The Assembly Rooms is a carefully designed building in the centre of the city and is recognised as a historic asset that contributes to the appearance and character of the City Centre Conservation Area. The submitted documents that accompany the application for demolition state clearly that demolition will harm the Conservation Area and therefore the city centre. With nothing to replace this building, demolition will be an act of vandalism that will further damage Derby and its image across the country.

Market Square is the very heart of the city. The building itself is very robustly built and is in good structural repair. The Structural condition report states that the building is suffering only minor structural defects. The application to demolish it seems timed to hastily bulldoze the building before its current Certificate of Immunity from Listing expires in May.

Derby desperately needs a large venue, befitting this important regional city. Assuming you had a budget of say £30m, and two options, which makes the most sense?

Option 1: At great cost, demolish a huge amount of reinforced concrete, creating vast quantities of landfill and releasing embodied CO2, then pay for a temporary tart-up of an empty city-centre site. Use whatever is left in the hope of starting from scratch on a site further away from the Cultural Quarter.

Option 2: Use all the available money to upgrade and refurbish the perfectly robust and useable venue that you already have.

It seems blindingly obvious to me that option 2 represents much better value for tax-payers money. Many people who care about Derby, both locally and nationally, feel the same way as I do. Below is a link to my petition, now exceeding 1,400 signatures, which will be delivered to Derby City Council before the planning meeting, scheduled for 8 April.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-assembly-rooms

Robert Evans, Founding Director, Evans Vettori

Hotel demolition advances Becketwell regeneration

19th June 202315th February 2021 by Gary Stringer

Following the recent news that detailed planning permission has been granted for the first phase of Derby’s Becketwell regeneration scheme, Derby City Council has now announced it has signed a contract to demolish a redundant hotel to make way for the £200 million redevelopment project.

The Pennine Hotel and former Brannigans pub will be levelled, making way for new development, which will see the creation of apartments, offices, a new hotel, multi-storey car park, public square and performance venue.

At the heart of the city centre, the Becketwell site covers land previously occupied by the recently demolished former Debenhams store, in Victoria Street and Duckworth Square, in Colyear Street.

As previously reported by Marketing Derby detailed planning consent was granted recently for the first phase of the ambitious regeneration scheme, which involves building 259 build-to-rent apartments on the former Debenhams site.

The scheme, which is being delivered by St James Securities, will create more than 2,000 jobs.

Derby City Council has now awarded the demolition contract for the Pennine Hotel to A R Demolition. Work is scheduled to start in the spring and continue until autumn.

Councillor Matthew Holmes, deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transportation, said: “This site has been a regeneration priority for many years.

“The closure of the Duckworth Square mall in the late 1990s and the subsequent relocation of Debenhams left the area in economic decline.

“It was compounded by the shutdown of the hotel five years ago.

“We now have a tremendously exciting opportunity to reimagine a vitally important part of the city centre – creating new vibrancy, boosting the economy and providing facilities for more people to live, work and enjoy life in a thriving, prospering Derby.”

Paul Morris, development director at St James Securities, said: “The appointment of the contractor for the demolition of the former Pennine Hotel is another key milestone in preparing the site for the long-awaited Becketwell regeneration scheme.

“We look forward to getting on site to commence phase one of the scheme in early May.”

Planning & Design Practice Ltd, together with our peers amongst the local business community, and stakeholders such as Marketing Derby, are fully supportive of the redevelopment plans for the Becketwell area, a site which has been crying out for revitalisation for a long time, having been earmarked for development in the Local Plan since 2006.

Richard Pigott, Director at PDP said “Repurposing city centres, especially in the wake of the pandemic, is crucial to their futures and in this respect Derby is no different.

“The Plans for the redevelopment of the Becketwell area of the city centre will allow well designed modern buildings to sit alongside some of our fine old buildings, champion good architecture and act as a catalyst that brings benefits to the wider area, and the city as a whole”

Planning & Design have worked on numerous commercial projects which have involved changing the existing use of buildings located within the city centre.

The long-term vitality of town centres is an important planning concern and diversifying the uses of retail and leisure units can make significant contributions to the street scene and the local economy. For more information or to discuss your development proposals please get in touch.

The future of Derby Assembly Rooms

29th November 202214th December 2020 by Gary Stringer

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design Practice Ltd has objected to the proposed demolition of Derby Assembly Rooms. This large and iconic building dominates Market Square and has hosted numerous events and has been at the heart of city activities for almost 40 years.

The building was built to a high standard but a fire on the adjacent car park roof in 2014 destroyed the main plant and machinery and this immediately led to the central functions, the assembly rooms themselves being closed. The carpark remained open for use and it continues to be used and provides funds to the council. The ground floor restaurant space overlooking Market Square remained in use as did the tourist information centre until the council moved the tourist office to Riverside Chambers. Using insurance monies some repairs we made to the plant and machinery but the Assembly Rooms has never re-opened.

The Assembly Rooms themselves have become dated and are not now considered to be suitable for use as a major concert venue and for live theatre without a major overall and partial redevelopment. Renovating and updating the Assembly Rooms will be expensive and a new event, concert venue and theatre have been approved on land across the city centre at Becketwell. The council cannot afford to support both projects and two similar venues are unlikely to be viable in the city. The council were however supporting the renovation of the Assembly Rooms but costs have spiralled due to the council’s requirement of a minimum 15 year lifespan for operation following renovation and this requires that the existing building structure can be guaranteed to last at least a further 15 years without major further expenditure. The problem is that as a 1970s construction the building contains roof panels that only had a projected 30 year life span. To remove and replace these would be expensive and has made the project unviable. However the roof panels are in good condition and have not deteriorated and could easily last a further 30 years without needing removal. This cannot be proved, so essentially it is a matter of insurance rather than the condition of the building.

The council have thus applied to demolish the Assembly Rooms with no plans for anything to replace it. Leaving a large void in the heart of the city would be devastating and the plans for an area of open space are poor and ill conceived. The removal of the Assembly Rooms would lead to the loss of a whole side of Market Square with no existing buildings at the rear of the Assembly Rooms to front the square.

The detailed structural report that accompanied the application for demolition found the building to be essentially sound and in good order for its age and having been empty for 6 years. The Assembly Rooms are a strong piece of architecture which contribute to the appearance and character of the city but it divides opinion (similar in its Marmite character to the famous Preston Bus Station).

Starting with a new brief, the council should undertake minor works sufficient to allow the building to re-open. The fire damage is not as extensive as first thought and new plant and machinery can be installed. The Pick Everard report states that the roof does not present a danger to the public. Whist the roof needs to be the subject of regular inspection it would allow the building to re-open.

Firstly the council should re-open the shops and restaurants on the ground floor as part of the regeneration of the city centre. Most the ground floor fronting Market Square can be opened up for very little money and although the rents will be lower because of the collapse of retail, it would allow new businesses to open up breathing new life into the Cathedral Quarter. The tourism information centre should re-open in Market Square so that visitors to the city can continue to be supported but using a central location that is visible to the public.

To prosper the city centre needs visitors, the hotels in the city need support, the museums and shops need support. It is folly to the extreme to lose the visibility of tourist information from the centre of the city. The Darwin suite of the Assembly Rooms could be re-opened in the spring following the relaxation of Covid 19 rules for conferences, events and meetings including weddings. Offices around the suite can be let and the city can use catering companies which currently support Connect Derby to provide food and beverage.

The main issue is what to do with the Assembly Rooms themselves. The Assembly Rooms is a dated working theatre space and events space but who could use it? The Guildhall is used by local amateur dramatics groups and as a small venue for touring theatre and the Assembly Rooms because of its size and scale is not appropriate for these groups. The Guildhall itself is currently closed. The Assembly Rooms theatre and events space could be used by Academy trusts and LA secondary schools, sixth forms for youth based performances, for graduations and for a wide variety of other events as it has always done.

It would allow young people the opportunity to perform in a good sized auditorium, and as a semi-professional space with technical support and management (perhaps extending DEda’s brief) paid for through a variety of sources including the education authorities and trusts and through income generated by events. Being in the city centre it is accessible by young people who can travel in by bus and by non-car means.

For secondary schools and sixth form it could be a new shared facility. With a population of over 260,000 and more than 28,000 secondary school children and sixth formers the number of events and the level of use could easily justify the continued use of the space. The space would also be open through the council for others to use where the education calendar would allow. Using the Assembly Rooms in this way would bring young people into the city centre and their parents. It would add to the vitality to the city centre and would make the city a city of opportunity.

We need to breathe new life into the city centre and re-using what we have is a more sustainable option. Small steps, opening up the Assembly Rooms and getting events going will do much to help to revive the city centre. The commitment of the council to the re-use of the Assembly Rooms and the opening up of active uses onto Market Square will show the councils self-belief and from there private sector investment will follow.

Now more than ever we need to invest in our city and our people, particularly our young people. The council needs to be more ambitious and use what it has as well as looking to build its future.

Ambitious plans for Becketwell move forward

30th November 202222nd September 2020 by Gary Stringer

Joseph Cattmull, Architectural Technologist at Planning & Design Practice Ltd talks about the ambitious plans for the Becketwell area of Derby, as redevelopment plans take a major step forward.

For many years the old Debenhams building in Derby has stood out, but for all the wrong reasons. I still remember arriving in Derby as a student back in 2014 and being amazed by the buildings prominence on a street of otherwise high architectural quality. After many years it now appears that a much needed redevelopment will finally take place.

A new multi-use proposal, put forward by St James Securities in partnership with Derby City Council has received backing and looks like it will be going ahead. The former Debenhams building has been demolished and finally the area can be rejuvenated with a modern multi use purpose and architectural design to lift the surrounding area. A combination of residential and commercial building have been put forward, ensuring a high level of footfall through the area.

The residential development has been reduced in scale, and probably for the best. Formerly being 19 storeys on the public square side, now reduced to 11 providing a better balance to the site and helping to blend the development in with the street scene. 259 apartments (136 one bed, 93 two bed and 30 studio apartments) being built alongside ground floor commercial spaces provide a brilliant opportunity to create a lively hub for Derby residents to gravitate towards. There could be real potential for the area to become a social hub, with the site being surrounded by various bars and restaurants and it is crucial that this potential is realised.

The importance of creating a hub in the centre of the city cannot be understated, the poor location of the Intu shopping centre drags footfall away from the city centre and towards the edge of the city. As a result the market square and the quality of retail in the centre of the city has suffered, the new Becketwell development can hopefully be a step in the right direction towards the city centres revival.

Potentially most exciting is the newly proposed venue, designed to replace the Assembly Rooms. The potential for live music and other performances within the city centre can be the spark to reignite the nightlife scene within Derby. The proposed 3,500 capacity venue will allow Derby to compete with neighbouring city Nottingham, who boast a number of performance venues, including Rock City, the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall and the Motorpoint Arena.

Having such a venue with the potential to bring in up to 3,500 people to performances and events on a weekly or even multiple times a week could do wonders for the cities nightlife and social scene. The proposed Becketwell development must be applauded in putting forward such an exciting and ambitious scheme for the city to look forward to.

However, there is another side to this, perhaps, most vital to the success of the development is creating desirable residential spaces. Creating a residential space alongside a social hub can be a tricky thing to pull off, the balance between being socially busy but also providing the residents with a relaxing and comfortable environment to reside in. This can be solved through good architectural design and layout awareness, for example having bedrooms facing an inner courtyard and the living spaces facing out onto the street scene could perhaps be a solution. Of course, no internal layouts nor designs have been finalised so it will be interesting to see what approach the Architects will take when approaching this issue.

The Becketwell development is definitely something to keep an eye on and to get excited about, if carried out well, the project could be the catalyst for the city centres revival. As a company we will be keeping an eye on all the developments of this project and look forward to the scheme being completed.

Joseph Cattmull, Architectural Technologist, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Main image: Becketwell Aerial from North East – St James Securities