Marketing Derby Archives - Planning Design Ltd

Great Northern Classics – Driving our heritage

19th March 202419th March 2024 by Gary Stringer

Samuel Young, part of our Planning Team recently attended a Marketing Derby Bondholder event at Great Northern Classics, off of Osmaston Road, Derby. The aims of the centre, which has recently opened its doors to the general public is to preserve and propagate crucial skills for the classic vehicle industry, which in the UK alone it is estimated to be worth around £6bn. Read on for more information on the history of this important heritage asset, and the plans for its future.

Great Northern Classics

The site of the Great Northern Classics has many links to industry with the previous use not only as the Victoria Ironworks site, but also the site of Rolls Royce Foundry. Victoria Ironworks was an Iron casting business originally under the title of Eastwood and Swingle Ltd when the building was constructed in the early 1850s. The company went on to produce Iron beams for more than 235 bridges in India as well as railways in Japan. This factory still stands as it did in 1850 due to the preservation of this important heritage asset.

The Ironworks with help from Rolls Royce, produced the Eagle Engine which powered 50 different aircraft and airships during World War I. The site, which was then occupied by Rolls Royce up until the 1980s, today serves as a classic car storage unit with a learning facility to introduce new skills to the next generation of car mechanics.

Research by Historic England (2016) found the gross value of the heritage industry to be around £21.7bn. In the East Midlands alone the heritage industry contributes £1.26 bn to the local economy, generating as many as 22,000 jobs in the region.

Great Northern Classics’s plans for the Ironworks will further contribute to the East Midland’s economy. It will help revive the surrounding community, generate local jobs and create a cultural destination centre in the heart of Derby.

Planning & Design Practice’s Heritage Team play a key role in preserving these iconic buildings which play such an important role in showing the heritage of Derby. Planning & Design Practice are a Multi- disciplinary practice of Charted Town Planners, RIBA Certified Architects and Heritage Consultants which together work to create new developments whilst also protecting historic buildings and locations.

The retention of Heritage is a key focus for Planning & Design Practices Heritage team. Planning & Design Practice are well versed in working with Heritage Assets and Listed Buildings such as the Industrial units situated on Osmaston Road, Derby.

Great Northern Classics also features a car show room with the dealership Pinchbeck. Pinchbeck are one of the UK’s leading luxury car dealerships selling cars such as McLarens, Porsches, Land Rovers and Aston Martins.

As well as preserving the Historic infrastructure of yesteryear, the site of the Great Northern Classics shows a great facility for educating and maintaining the practical hands-on skills which are needed to preserve the classic cars of the future.

It is important not only to preserve these skills but also to preserve the buildings which have served a great purpose in our past. Heritage is the future. But it needs protecting. And that’s the aim of Great Northern Classics.

Planning & Design Practice are a multi-disciplinary practice of Planners, Architects and heritage Consultants which could help you retain and repurpose your heritage asset, produce innovative architectural designs or provide Planning advice on your project. Planning & Design Practice have in house heritage specialists who work on a variety of projects that are concerned with Listed Building Consent, Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites. We always work with the client and the councils to get the best outcome.

If heritage is a deciding factor in your future development plans, please get in touch to find out how we can help you, on 01332 347371 or email enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk.

New life for Cathedral Green

8th January 202422nd November 2023 by Gary Stringer

Ambitious plans have been submitted by Wavensmere Homes Ltd and Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd for a 9 storey scheme to bring 186 new homes into the centre of Derby on the long standing vacant site next to Cathedral Green. The scheme also includes a café, residents amenity space, a gym, public and private landscaping, car and cycle parking and vehicular access off Full Street. Director Richard Pigott, with the assistance of research by Heritage Consultant Ruth Gray, critique the scheme and weigh up the pros and cons.

On the face of it, this riverside site is more sensitive, in historical terms, than some other recent major application sites in the city due to its location close to Grade I listed Cathedral Church of All Saints, the Grade II Silk Mill (Museum of Making), Bakewell’s Gates at The Silk Mill, St Mary’s Bridge, Magistrates Court and Amen Alley. It is also situated in the UNESCO Derwent Valley World Heritage Buffer Zone, the Derby City Centre Area of archaeological interest and adjacent to the City Centre Conservation Area.

It would be hard to argue that the development will not affect, to some extent, the setting of the Cathedral and the Silk Mill given their close proximity. However, this part of Derby has seen many changes throughout the centuries and Cathedral Green is, to my surprise, a recent construct. The industrial revolution, of which Derby was a key instigator, dominated this part of the city, with factories utilising the nearby canals, river and railways. As can be seen in the photograph below, the Silk Mill and the Cathedral (tower in the foreground) were surrounded by chimneys and industry in the early part of the 20th century.

1928 photograph. Source: Historic England

Since commerce and industry have moved out of the city centre to places like Pride Park and further afield, this part of Derby has been in steady decline and the application site itself has been boarded up for many years and become something of an eyesore.

Derby Civic Society have objected to the proposal which has said it would “wreck the historic skyline of Derby”. However, does this ignore or overlook the history of innovation and evolution within the city? As we have seen above, this part of Derby has changed across the ages in response to economic and social forces and why should this evolution not continue now? No key views or vistas of the cathedral will be blocked or interrupted as far as I can tell. Furthermore, lets not forget the benefits that this development would bring. It will be undoubtedly bring more vibrancy to the area around the cathedral, its green and the Cathedral Quarter in general.

Wavensmere Homes are becoming accustomed to working on sensitive sites, having recently restored both ‘Pepper Pot’ buildings at their London Road Nightingale Quarter (former DRI) site and having committed to sensitive redevelopment projects at both Friar Gate Goods Yard and Milford Mill within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

In the current proposal, Wavensmere, after consultation with stakeholders, have altered their proposals to something that better reflects the historic context of the site. This is an example of how heritage considerations play a part in shaping our cities. This more sympathetic approach will now complement Cathedral Green and enhance the area.

Heritage impacts, peoples’ needs and changes in socioeconomic activity have all combined to be the instigator of the developments that are taking place in Derby today. The suburbs are full but the city is hollow. Residential schemes are bringing life back to the city and, in turn, encourage more to visit the city. Lets get behind this development at Cathedral Green for the good of the city.

Artists impressions of the Cathedral Green scheme

Images: Cathedral One Full Street CGI by Wavensmere Homes and Wilson Bowden Developments

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

Trio of successes for PDP clients

28th November 202220th October 2021 by Gary Stringer

A trinity of Planning & Design Practice’s clients – Wildhive, Chevin Homes and Morley Hayes – are celebrating following recent awards successes.

Derbyshire hotel Callow Hall has been crowned the UK’s best place to stay by Sunday Times.

The first venture for Wildhive, a new boutique hospitality brand, the hotel is nestled in 35 acres of gardens, wild meadow and woodland. A Grade II listed Victorian country house that is perfectly situated at the gateway to the Peak District, the hotel has 15 individually designed bedrooms in the main house, two treehouses and 11 woodland Hives.

Since 2018 we have been commissioned by Wildhive to provide planning consultancy services on a number of exciting proposals for Callow Hall including the woodland 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 Callow Hall building.

Securing planning permission for the woodland Hives was particularly challenging as it is designated as ancient woodland, which gives it a very high degree of protection. As such, we had to ensure that any development did not harm the integrity or unique character of the woodland.

The application was initially hit by stiff opposition from a number of key consultees. However, we were always confident that the heritage concerns could be offset by the economic benefits of the proposal, which include attracting 8,175 overnight visitors per annum, and generating more than £1m in visitor expenditure across a range of sectors in the local economy.

At Chase Farm, having secured planning permission for the site in 2018 for Chevin Homes we’re delighted that their development has won ‘Residential Development of the Year’ at the East Midlands Business Link ‘Brick Awards’ 2021.

Chase Farm is a bespoke courtyard development of just eight truly unique homes situated on the edge of the Peak District at Ambergate, Derbyshire within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and was completed earlier this year.

This project was an exciting one for us to work on as it comprised of the redevelopment of a brownfield site with a derelict social club and carpark, two 19th century cottages and an agricultural barn. The whole site had been neglected for the last few years and the buildings were rapidly degrading.

PDP achieved full planning permission for 1 new detached dwelling on the footprint of the old social club, a terrace of 3 new dwellings, the restoration of the two cottages and the conversion of the barn to a dwelling.

And last but by no means least, our client Morley Hayes carried away two awards at the 13th Derby Food and Drink Awards, which took place on Monday 18 October. As well as being awarded the prestigious title of Overall Winner, the venue’s Roosters Bar and Restaurant was also successful in the Most Family Friendly category. A great double success for Morley Hayes, which is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Planning & Design Practice would like to offer sincere congratulations to all three companies on this well-deserved recognition.

Planning & Design Practice have a wealth of experience in designing and securing planning permission for commercial projects. For expert advice and a no- obligation consultation to discuss your own business, please get in touch.

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.

Becketwell first phase gets planning go-ahead

29th November 202219th January 2021 by Gary Stringer

Detailed planning permission has now been granted for the first phase of Derby’s £200 million Becketwell regeneration scheme and development work is expected to begin this spring. At a recent meeting of the Derby City Council planning committee, councillors voted unanimously in favour of developer St James Securities’ landmark scheme.

Phase one of the scheme includes the construction of 259 build-to-rent apartments on the site of the former Debenhams store on Victoria Street. A new public square, on the site of the former Central United Reformed Church, remains the centrepiece of the development and will also be delivered as part of the first phase.

Work is already underway to bring forward a second phase to comprise a new 3,500-capacity performance and conference venue on the site of Laurie House offices and the former Pink Coconut nightclub. Future planned phases of the scheme include a range of other complementary uses of the site, including up to 25,000 square metres of grade A offices and commercial space, a hotel and a multi-storey car park.

More than 2,000 jobs are expected to be created by the development, with completion expected at the start of 2023.

Councillor Matthew Holmes, deputy leader of Derby City Council, said: “A thriving city centre is vital for Derby’s future economic prosperity and this project will be transformational – allowing hundreds of people to live in high-quality homes in the heart of the city and breathing new life into an area which has been challenged for many years.”

Marketing Derby Managing director John Forkin said: “There is much talk about the need to repurpose city centres and by creating new quality homes for 500 people in the heart of Derby, St James Securities is doing exactly what is required.

“This is an important piece in a bigger jigsaw that will not only develop the Becketwell site but also act to build confidence for further investment in Derby.”

Commenting on the news, PDP Director Richard Pigott, said “repurposing city centres, especially in the wake of the pandemic, is crucial to their futures and in this respect Derby is no different. We are pleased to see that the council unanimously supported the proposal despite some local concerns about the scale of the development. This is a bold development which should act as a catalyst for further investment, ensuring that the transformation of the city centre goes from strength to strength”.

Discussing Economic Recovery with Marketing Derby

30th November 202213th October 2020 by Gary Stringer

On Tuesday 13th October, Planning & Design Practice Ltd Director Jon Millhouse took part in the latest Marketing Derby Talking Business live event, joining a panel of local business leaders, and sharing his thoughts on how Derby’s rich built heritage can help with the city’s economic recovery following the impacts of the Covid pandemic.

Jon joined fellow Bondholders, Stella Birks from tourism agency Visit Derby, creative business coach and mentor Ursula Cameron, Paul Norbury from PwC, Bromley Sibson from leading training provider Mitre Group and Matt Simpson from financial services organisation OVISO Financial.

As predicted, the Covid health pandemic has morphed into an economic emergency. Quarter 2 saw the biggest GDP drop in history and whilst Q3 has clawed some of this back there is focus on economic recovery in Q4 and 2021.

Introduced by John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, the aim of the debate was to discuss the signs of recovery, and to ascertain what steps can be taken to ensure businesses are best positioned for growth. With the panel having a broad range of experiences from different sectors, different perspectives were outlined – is the glass half full or half empty?

Beginning the discussion, Paul Norbury talked about the challenges faced in bringing a large number of people back to the offices at PWC and how they are coping with new restrictions and boosting team morale. Matt Simpson from OVISO Financial gave an overview of the housing market since March and his thoughts for the market in 2021, particularly following Stamp Duty being reintroduced. Stella Birks from Visit Derby discussed the effect of Covid on tourism in Derby and Derbyshire, lessons we can learn from other European cities and the role that businesses can play in helping restore visitor numbers and provide innovative and engaging visitor experiences. With insight into a number of different sectors, business coach Ursula Cameron gave an overview into how each are dealing with recovery differently. Brom Sibson from training provider the Mitre Group talked about the recovery of our workforce using available apprenticeship schemes, and how larger companies can help small businesses by “donating” their levy.

Jon, as both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation, reflected on Derby’s past and the role that its history can play in a post Covid recovery.

Jon comments:

“Derby is blessed with many historic buildings and spaces which have the potential to be restored, better revealed and better used, creating the kind of environment in which people want to invest, which will in turn help with the city’s economic recovery post Covid.

But at the same time Derby’s heritage is at risk. The principal uses which have underpinned the city centre for decades, retail stores and offices, are looking very vulnerable at the present time in the face of increased online shopping and remote working.

But from a crisis comes an opportunity. The old economic model – chain store retailers paying high rents to absentee landlords, high business rates, upper floors left dormant and buildings poorly maintained – is no longer working. Lower rents and rates will in time allow local independent businesses to enter the city centre and landlords will be incentivised to find new uses for upper floors, in order to maintain a good return on their assets.

If we value and prioritise economic activity in our historic buildings and spaces, our city centre can eventually bounce back better than before.”

Marketing Derby promotes Derby and Derbyshire in order to attract and support investment. In the last three years it has attracted a capital investment of £359 million, supporting the city and the county.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd offer a comprehensive range of services, specialising in planning, architecture, heritage, urban design, and rural development. For a free 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can help you please get in touch.

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

Unlocking Ashbourne Airfield

19th June 20234th February 2020 by Gary Stringer

At Planning and Design Practice Ltd we were delighted to hear the news that fellow Marketing Derby Bondholder, the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has agreed to provide £1 million to create a new link road to unlock the development of Ashbourne Airfield.

The £10.7m scheme, next to the Airfield Industrial Estate, will see the creation of the Ashbourne Business Park, together with a new housing development and a new roundabout and link road.

The project is a partnership between Derbyshire Dales District Council, Derbyshire County Council and landowner FW Harrison, all of which have put in additional funding for the infrastructure improvements.

Planning and Design Practice Ltd have a long history with the site, having devised the original masterplan and secured outline permission in October 2014 (the largest single development ever approved in Derbyshire Dales). We also secured the allocation of the Airfield for redevelopment in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan in December 2017, secured detailed planning permission for a new link road through the site and submitted a revised outline application in 2019 (set to be decided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council Planning Board on 4th February 2020).

The scheme will provide 367 homes, 8-10ha of industrial and commercial land, a hotel and a community hub. Land has been allocated in the Local Plan for a further 1100 homes, 6-8Ha of employment land and community facilities at the Airfield in a second phase of development to the north.

The new link road will open up the existing adjacent industrial estate which is fully occupied and a new bus route will also be created.

The proposals include areas for wildlife conservation, a public open space and new landscape features incorporating over 1 hectare of new woodland. The scheme will deliver over £3m in public subsidy for school and college places and highway improvements as well as affordable housing.

Derbyshire Dales Planning Committee resolved to grant planning permission for a hybrid planning application on the 4th February subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.

The permission combined a full application for the first new commercial building and brought together all the existing consents. The 2017 outline permission was also renewed but with extended timescales for the submission of reserved matters to enable the Industrial Estate to be developed (including the creation of a new business park) over the next 10 years.

The first phase of the development, including the new access is scheduled to start on the 9th March 2020.

Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design Practice Ltd said: “We are excited to see the Airfield development about to commence. We have always envisaged and sought to achieve a high quality and truly sustainable new development, where people can live, work and play.”

Planning and Design Practice Ltd recognise that urban design has a key role to play in tackling climate change, by making future places more robust to withstand the impact of climate change and adaptable as conditions change. We have a talented group of planners and urban designers who can work with you to create outward looking inclusive designs which will be supported by Local planning Authorities. For more information please visit www.planningdesign.co.uk or phone 01332 347371.