Update on completion forecasts for Long Eaton Galaxy Row Cinema and High Street projects

Completion forecasts for two multimillion-pound schemes in a Derbyshire town have improved but are still set to overrun. A major overhaul of Long Eaton High Street, led by £10 million in Government funding, is now due to be completed in August 2026 instead of October 2026, says Erewash Borough Council.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Row Cinema scheme, in Derby Road, priced at between £5 million and £9 million in Government funding, involving demolition and replacement with homes, flats and shops, is now also due to be finished in August 2026 instead of May 2027. However, both of these projects are still due to significantly exceed the Government’s £25 million Town Deal funding deadline of March 2026, after which it faces being clawed back.

Borough council officials have previously detailed that they have been lobbying for flexibility on the spending of the funding, including committing funding to be spent before the deadline, but had not received any reassurance on wiggle room. Updated timelines show that the High Street and Galaxy Row schemes will be in the middle of their respective construction phases when spending on the scheme is due to be completed.

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An update on the High Street scheme says: “The latest programme supplied by Galliford Try for Long Eaton High St project shows a completion date of 14th of August 2026, revised from the previous forecast of 5th of October 2026. This is an improvement of approximately 7 weeks. This reflects the efforts being made by the project team to streamline the Stage 2 programme (construction) which is dependent upon certain traffic management proposals being accepted by the highway authority which is ongoing.

"If these traffic management proposals are not accepted then the programme will push out from the 14th of August 2026.”

Meanwhile, an update on the Galaxy Row scheme says: “With progress in the procurement of a developer partner, the programme has been refined. This now shows a delay in commencement of construction by one month to August 2025, but a contraction of the construction period by eight months to August 2026.

“Two bids were received from potential development partners. Following evaluation and moderation there was a clear winner allowing a preferred partner to be selected. The preferred partner has confirmed their desire to implement the council’s approved outline scheme with minor amendments.”

Councillors had previously been told that the proposed completion of the Galaxy Row scheme could be significantly further away if the recruited developer wanted to submit a new planning application for the scheme. In January the council approved its own plans for the former cinema, previously named the St James Theatre, built in 1907, despite not owning the building at the time.

However, in May, the council shared details that the landowners opposing the compulsory purchase of the derelict site had withdrawn their opposition. This meant that a formal and costly public inquiry into the issue would not need to be held and instead was to be handled amicably over a few weeks – instead of potentially months followed by a decision from a planning inspector.

The former cinema, along with a garage to the rear in Oxford Street and a shop and nightclub in Derby Road, will be demolished to make way for 16 flats, four houses and three shops.