WATCH: Derby releases updated look at Market Place

Further details on Derby City Council’s planned redevelopment of the city’s former assembly rooms have been released – with a fly-through video showing how a finished development might take shape.

The authority lodged long-awaited plans for its Derby Market Place scheme last month, set to include the demolition of the former Assembly Rooms building, set to make way for office space, and a hotel, alongside exhibition, gallery and art spaces, and a new library.

The former assembly rooms were built in 1977 but have now been vacant for over a decade, having been closed by a major fire in 2014.

Derby City Council says the scheme will build on other regeneration work currently taking place across the city, part of it’s masterplan for the city centre, and with the application now in the hands of the authority’s planning team, the marketing effort has continued, with a CGI video launched to bolster the council’s vision for the site.

Outline plans for three buildings set to be constructed as part of the new development were submitted by developers VINCI and ION Developments in late January, with a supporting statement declaring the scheme was a “vital opportunity” for the city’s regeneration programme.

Up to 67,000 sq ft of office space is proposed for a new DerbyWORKS building, while around 57,000 sq ft would be allocated to a library and co-working space known as DerbyMADE. A seven-storey, 160-room hotel is planned for the third building on the site.

“The proposals seek to repair the existing urban fabric, reinvigorate the Market Place, and contribute towards the cultural and commercial offering in the city centre,” it said.

“The vision for Derby Market Place Regeneration scheme is to deliver a distinctive, cultural-led destination for local people and visitors, incorporating high-quality cultural, community, hospitality and business space, that will re-establish the area as the cultural heart of Derby City Centre. This includes the delivery of three new buildings, which will be designed to the highest standards of architectural quality, sustainability and functionality. ”

Documents and plans relating to the application can be found on Derby City Council’s planning portal using reference: 26/00042/OUT