New makeover masterplan unveiled for Derby railway station area

Major plans are being drawn up to regenerate Derby’s “Station Quarter” as council chiefs set out their vision to bring jobs and workers back into the city centre. The area around the frontage of Derby’s railway station could be set for significant change – according to Derby City Council which has unveiled its new masterplan for the location.

A masterplan image released by the Labour-led council shows its futuristic vision for the area, including the creation of a new walkway from the entrance of the station to Midland Road, new entrance and signage to the existing Derby Midland Station, and new apartments and office space.

The council says its focus is now shifting towards the Railway Terrace and Midland Road area of the city after seeing big regeneration change with its new £100 million Castleward estate, now not far off completion. The Becketwell area has also seen change with new homes and a soon-to-open performance venue.

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The Market Place is also to see big change with the new Market Hall set to open next year and other projects lined up too, including the restoration of the Guildhall Theatre and the expected demolition of the Assembly Rooms.

But now the council wants public opinion on the future for “one of the most accessible and sustainable parts of the city centre” – now being referred to as the Station Quarter. Thoughts and ideas from the public are wanted.

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The council says regenerating the area “will be a first step in encouraging a westward shift of office occupiers from Pride Park back towards the city centre”.

In documents published online, the council states the area around Derby Station “has considerable unrealised development potential”. It adds: “There is no immediate sense of arrival and low-quality land uses prevail in what should be a vibrant part of the city centre”.

The masterplan report from the council says: “Regeneration continues to bring new life to areas of the city, such as Becketwell and Castleward, with the development of new residential, retail and leisure complexes. Now our focus turns to the area around Derby Railway Station. This focus is timely given the announcement that Derby is to be the home of Great British Railways.

“The Station Quarter is one of the most accessible and sustainable parts of the city centre. There is an opportunity to rationalise and make better use of existing station car parks to unlock development sites. Alongside new housing, the regeneration of the area west of the station will be a first step in encouraging a westward shift of office occupiers from Pride Park back towards the city centre. We (the city council) also want to see the railway station facilities upgraded and the passenger experience enhanced through an ambitious active travel strategy, with better connectivity and integration with surrounding land uses and onward destinations.”

A public consultation has been launched allowing the people of Derby and beyond to have their views on how they would like the Station Quarter to look. The consultation is on the Let’s Talk Derby website and has several documents to view, which can be seen here - https://letstalk.derby.gov.uk/derby-station-quarter-ipg-consultation. The consultation will close on Monday, January 13.

The idea of regenerating the "Station Quarter" is likely to be welcomed by nearby businesses in the Midland Road area following previous concerns about the area.

Last year business owners told the Local Democracy Reporting Service how frequent beggars and street drinkers were affecting trade and business morale in the area. The problem was so bad businesses had several meetings with councillors and the police to help deal with the rising problem.

At the time, Ateeq Naseem from taxi firm Albatross Cars, which has an office in Midland Road, said: “This is an important area for Derby and one of the first things you see here is anti-social behaviour. It leaves a bad impression. When you have people here being drunk and disorderly it affects businesses.”

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