New homes construction set to start at derelict Derby site in £75m transformation

An image of the Friar Gate Goods Yard site in Derby
-Credit:Derbyshire Live


The construction of new homes at a major £75 million redevelopment near Derby city centre is to start in a matter of weeks, a major developer has said. Initial ground works have been taking place at the Friar Gate Goods Yard (FGGY) site at Uttoxeter New Road over the past few months.

The site has stood derelict for around 50 years but in years to come it will transform into a busy living and business space and a hub of activity. Developer Wavensmere Homes has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that construction of new homes on the site is due to start in March.

Last year, it was reported that the two fire-damaged Grade II-listed buildings on the site Friar Gate Good Yard site – the Bonded Warehouse and Engine House – will be turned into a restaurant and delicatessen, and the headquarters of housing developer Wavensmere Homes, respectively. The buildings have been in a bad state of disrepair for years.

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Additionally, the site will deliver 276 new homes which will start to be built on-site in the coming weeks. Since November, there has been building activity at the site with work starting on the formation of a new spine road through the site and remediation works to the two listed buildings.

Work is set to start on building more than 60 terraced houses, which will be available for occupation before the end of 2026. The full redevelopment, restoration and construction programme is anticipated to complete by the end of 2028.

A spokesperson for Wavensmere Homes said: “As it's a large brownfield site, Wavensmere Homes is still in the groundworks phase of the FGGY development. Construction of the first homes is scheduled to commence during March."

An artist's impression of the new Friar Gate Goods Yard development
How the new development will look -Credit:Clowes Developments/Wavensmere Homes

Friar Gate Goods Yard has been in the ownership of the Clowes family for more than 40 years, with a number of options for redevelopment proposed previously, but not progressed, due to heritage constraints and commercial viability.

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Extensive new areas of open space, including play areas and pocket parks will also be created, in addition to the retention of a Tree Protection Order tree buffer, to enhance the biodiversity of the site.

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Catherine Atkinson, MP for Derby North, said last year: “After over 50 years of sitting vacant, it was brilliant to visit Friar Gate Goods Yard and see the work underway to bring this local landmark back to life. This redevelopment will restore a piece of Derby's history while creating jobs and giving a major boost to the local economy, now and in the future."

James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “The fine attention to detail and investment we will inject into the reanimation of Friar Gate Goods Yard will see it become a nationally important trophy asset in Derby’s ongoing renaissance.

“We constructed 125 family houses just across the city centre at Nightingale Quarter, but there was such intense demand, we could have sold them four times over.”

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