Assembly Rooms
January 2020 update
The latest projections show that the project will now cost more than £30 million, calling into question the sustainability and viability of the business case for a renewed Assembly Rooms.
Work on the project has now been stopped while an in-depth evaluation takes place and consideration is given to the appropriate next steps and the options going forward.
Original plan
It’s Derby’s ambition to have a contemporary large-scale entertainment and conference venue in the city centre, a venue that will animate and enhance the vitality of the Market Place. Derby City Council is fulfilling this ambition by delivering a new and improved Assembly Rooms.
The new Assembly Rooms will be a key part of a vibrant city centre. It supports the key priority of Derby’s City Centre Masterplan 2030, complementing a mix of retail, leisure and accommodation developments. It will act as a catalyst for further investment and to rejuvenate Derby into a thriving city that can compete on every level.
The designs for the venue include the essential works that must take place to reopen the Assembly Rooms along with the enhancements to ensure it is fit for the 21st century. Customer-facing areas from the entrance foyer to the auditorium seats will be remodelled to provide a new look and feel customer experience.
We have secured planning consent along with £4.5 million of external funding to deliver the new Assembly Rooms. The total cost of the project is expected to be £24 million and completed in late 2021.Early works will start later this year paving the way for the full refurbishment works to begin next year.
The Assembly Rooms will be run in-house through our commercially refocused, award-winning Derby LIVE team, who provide events, performances and festivals for the city.
Latest news
- 28 May 2019 - Public thanked for their views on new Assembly Rooms’ designs
- 10 May 2019 - Public asked to assemble to help shape Assembly Rooms plans
- 15 March 2019 - Built environment specialists awarded Assembly Rooms contract
- 5 December 2018 - Next steps for Derby’s Assembly Rooms revealed