Riverside Car Park Closing

[Rev]

2 hours ago, Kokosnuss said:

We can increase the living quota, but there still needs to be something to entice people to want to come and live in Derby City Centre in the first place.

Derby largely feels run down and dirty, uncared for. It can be a depressing place to look at and walk through. I guess that's the same for a lot of places in modern Britain though - Derby is far from the worst, even if it isn't in the best of shape.

I suppose it's a bit of a catch 22 situation, but it won't become a vibrant city centre simply by adding more people if there's nothing for those people to do. Whilst Derby does have some very good things going for it, you typically seem to get one or two examples of something that stand out from the crud around them, whereas in bigger cities the things we see as highlights would be just another decent option amongst the many for somewhere to go / something to visit.

Are there enough jobs (or rather enough well paid paid) jobs in the city that will attract successful individuals with disposable income to come and rent these new apartments? Is there enough here for them to do? How much scope realistically is there to increase the offering beyond what we have now? How much support is the council able or willing to give new, locally run businesses?

I go so far as to say that this constant drive for new apartments will actually come at a cost of there being a reason for people to live here; there's little to no imagination being used in deciding what to do with all the old buildings that become empty aside from... let's create some more flats, or turn it into an Aldi, oh wait, no, a Lidl! It'll all be bloody flats, Aldis & Lidls at this rate.

I don't think we can rely on our reputation as a drinking city either, as there's apparently a growing trend (not sure if real or just reported tbf) for young people these days to not really be interested in that culture.

I can just see a situation where nobody actually wants to move into all these shiny new apartments, so instead people get moved into them, but the people who aren't there by choice won't have the disposable income and it just makes the city centre busier, but not better.

So, what do we do? I'm f***** if I know.

Pretty much describes the way the city has been planned / managed over the past god knows how many years tbf

Such a good post, I couldn't let it slide by with just a like. 

Managed decline seems to be where we're at, in the East Midlands at least. 

I've lived the first half of my life in Derby, and the second half in Nottingham, and the issues facing both are similar.

Nottinghams answer seems to build evermore Student accommodation, to the point it's literally the only development happening in the city, the local council can't even get the so called Castle up and running, despite a multi million pound refurbishment. 

What's the plan for Derby?

 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

35 minutes ago, Rev said:

Such a good post, I couldn't let it slide by with just a like. 

Managed decline seems to be where we're at, in the East Midlands at least. 

I've lived the first half of my life in Derby, and the second half in Nottingham, and the issues facing both are similar.

Nottinghams answer seems to build evermore Student accommodation, to the point it's literally the only development happening in the city, the local council can't even get the so called Castle up and running, despite a multi million pound refurbishment. 

What's the plan for Derby?

 

As above

[TigerTedd]

On 15/03/2023 at 21:53, GenBr said:

Does the council still want to go ahead with the stupid monorail idea? Maybe theyre going to replace all the car parks with monorail stations

[Stive Pesley]

11 hours ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

As above

LOL - the last student accommodation block we built (opposite Queen St Baths) has been condemned already when they discovered that the developer had cut corners on the fire regs. It's unsafe to live in, and to retrofit the changes is too expensive. I believe the plan is to demolish it and start again. You couldn't make it up!

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

On 15/03/2023 at 21:53, GenBr said:

Does the council still want to go ahead with the stupid monorail idea? Maybe theyre going to replace all the car parks with monorail stations

I hope they may do this for one reason.  They'll probably get some kind of grant to finally repair the very one off and unique Handyside Bridge on Friargate, rather than waiting for someone to randomly include it  in the purchase of a knackered mill and spend a million quid doing it up.  If it isn't repaired in the next few years it surely has too come down before a piece falls off and crushes some poor fecker as they drive under.

[TomBustler1884]

Love these discussions about Derby. Just to answer a few questions about what would entice people to our city, it's definitely a struggle but there is stuff actually happening, not just pretty renders. Tried to answer a few questions in the thread.

Cathedral Rd student accommodation - my understanding is that the problem here is that the insulation between the internal walls and exterior cladding met fire regs at the time of planning consent, but didn't once completed. As a result it is now not compliant so can't be occupied. I'm not sure if the developer is entirely to blame on that one, but yes, a big mess. However, there are currently 4 new student blocks all being built on Agard St.

Derby Theatre - This is being relocated to a new facility on the site of the Assembly Rooms. The govt have allocated £20m to make it happen with the Council putting up some too. The University has signed up as tenant. The final piece of the jigsaw is what to use the rest of the site for - hotel/offices, etc.

University Business School - this is now onsite and will be open I think next year.

GBR - Great news to win this for Derby. The Council now need to make sure that this new HQ is built in the city centre.

The Condor - 265 apartments are opening soon with a gym, business lounge, roof garden and concierge service. A new public park will open at the same time. All operated by Grainger, the biggest provider of private rented accommodation in the country.

Performance Venue - Opening early 2025, it is operated by ASM Global, the biggest venue operator in the world. The programme of events should be top drawer. Will seat 3,500 people.

You then have Castleward, the Nightingale Quarter, the new riverside all happening too. The plans for Derbion on Bradshaw Way and Morledge have to happen.

As for what is there in Derby to attract people, we have a shopping centre that has put a lot of work into improving the range of shops, they attract 20 million people a year. We have Derby Museum, the Museum of Making, QUAD, Deda, Darley Abbey Concert, Format, Feste, Walking with Dinosaurs, lots of running events and lots more I don't have time to think of.

I think we're all guilty of running down where we're from, primarily because we care about it. Derby has major issues with public realm, driving people to historic areas, social mobility and engaging young people in regeneration. But it is heading in the right direction.

[Stive Pesley]

So refreshing to have someone point out the positives and the promise of the changes that are happening (without being a happy clapper about it all)

I don't know how you stop Derby people being so bloody negative about the city all the time. 

[Day]

10 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

I don't know how you stop Derby people being so bloody negative about the city all the time. 

Isn’t that more Brits being Brits, experts in complaining, moaning and queuing. Not exactly unique to Derby.

[PistoldPete]

5 hours ago, TomBustler1884 said:

Love these discussions about Derby. Just to answer a few questions about what would entice people to our city, it's definitely a struggle but there is stuff actually happening, not just pretty renders. Tried to answer a few questions in the thread.

Cathedral Rd student accommodation - my understanding is that the problem here is that the insulation between the internal walls and exterior cladding met fire regs at the time of planning consent, but didn't once completed. As a result it is now not compliant so can't be occupied. I'm not sure if the developer is entirely to blame on that one, but yes, a big mess. However, there are currently 4 new student blocks all being built on Agard St.

Derby Theatre - This is being relocated to a new facility on the site of the Assembly Rooms. The govt have allocated £20m to make it happen with the Council putting up some too. The University has signed up as tenant. The final piece of the jigsaw is what to use the rest of the site for - hotel/offices, etc.

University Business School - this is now onsite and will be open I think next year.

GBR - Great news to win this for Derby. The Council now need to make sure that this new HQ is built in the city centre.

The Condor - 265 apartments are opening soon with a gym, business lounge, roof garden and concierge service. A new public park will open at the same time. All operated by Grainger, the biggest provider of private rented accommodation in the country.

Performance Venue - Opening early 2025, it is operated by ASM Global, the biggest venue operator in the world. The programme of events should be top drawer. Will seat 3,500 people.

You then have Castleward, the Nightingale Quarter, the new riverside all happening too. The plans for Derbion on Bradshaw Way and Morledge have to happen.

As for what is there in Derby to attract people, we have a shopping centre that has put a lot of work into improving the range of shops, they attract 20 million people a year. We have Derby Museum, the Museum of Making, QUAD, Deda, Darley Abbey Concert, Format, Feste, Walking with Dinosaurs, lots of running events and lots more I don't have time to think of.

I think we're all guilty of running down where we're from, primarily because we care about it. Derby has major issues with public realm, driving people to historic areas, social mobility and engaging young people in regeneration. But it is heading in the right direction.

What is this "new riverside" you are talking of?  Aren't they worried about floods? 

[Turk Thrust]

I lived the first half of my life in Derby (I’m now 76) and I was around when the cattle market was up and running in the, then, town, centre. Blood and guts running everywhere. And the smell!  And there was the long wooden bridge from the river gardens, a real safety hazard. Thankfully all gone but others have gone which shouldn’t have. And the lovely St Alkmund’s Churchyard opposite St Mary’s Church, sadly demolished to make way for the inner ring road. Next to St Michael’s Church was the centuries old Nottingham Castle pub and the chapel where Wesley preached. Just torn down. Just a car park I think now. 
 

I only very occasionally go back to Derby and I find the centre very down beat. Just walk down St Peter’s Street and look up beyond the shopfronts. Dirty and decrepit. The gorgeous Friargate Bridge in disrepair.  Don’t get me wrong. Most of my memories are in Derby, from the Baseball Ground to my times in the Sea Cadets, my much loved school days at Joseph Wright School of Art,  to the 60s Mod days on a scooter with a stuffed squirrel on the aerial top, meeting mates at the Seven Stars, my first job as a librarian in the Wardwick, then at the Unemployment Benefit Office in Normanton Road. Great memories but Derby is now for me peopled with ghosts of the past and depressing. I am pleased though that something is going to happen to the market place and the choice of Derby for the GBR HQ.

 

 

[TomBustler1884]

On 22/03/2023 at 20:04, PistoldPete said:

What is this "new riverside" you are talking of?  Aren't they worried about floods? 

They are demolishing a couple of the office blocks on Derwent St and opening it all up as gardens and park. Not the most ambitious plans but at least its green space and better than just building a wall.

[TomBustler1884]

On 22/03/2023 at 18:36, Stive Pesley said:

So refreshing to have someone point out the positives and the promise of the changes that are happening (without being a happy clapper about it all)

I don't know how you stop Derby people being so bloody negative about the city all the time. 

To be fair, it was actually my job for a while. 

But I just don't have time for whingeing about Derby. It's not great, but it's not awful. And there is development and change you can point to right now. There have been terrible mistakes in urban planning in the past - (ring road, train station) but they were in the past.

I hope more people will live and work in the city centre, its the only way that people will come back to the older parts of the city again.

A key figure promoted by the city is that the highest average salaries in the UK are in Derby outside of London. People who work here have money, it's just not spent enough here.