A two-week engagement period on the emerging designs for the New Assembly Rooms has ended.

Derby City Council would like to thank members of the public and stakeholders who gave their views on the emerging designs to transform the Assembly Rooms into a vibrant new cultural venue in the city centre.

The council held a two week engagement period between 13th – 24th May 2019 where the people were able to give their views online, invited to attend two drop-in sessions where they could discuss the proposals with the project team and have their say, as well as the council meeting with interested groups to seek their views on the emerging designs.

The next step in transforming the Assembly Rooms will be for a planning application to be submitted in June with the feedback from the engagement period being included in the planning application.

Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

We want to thank people who took the time to give us their views on the emerging designs for the New Assembly Rooms over the last few weeks. Whilst we will now need to fully analyse the feedback we’ve received, the initial indication suggests the public like the designs to transform this much-loved venue and get it back into use.  Once analysed, the architects for the project will use the feedback to help them to finalise the designs so a planning application to seek approval to start the transformation can be submitted. The New Assembly Rooms will serve as an entertainment hub for the city centre, and together with the £11.2m regeneration of the Market Hall into a contemporary, vibrant retail and cultural destination will breathe new life into this part of the city centre and prove a significant draw for those wishing to come and enjoy Derby both during the day and night.

The council is investing £24m of funding to transform the Assembly Rooms. The Council is to be allocated approximately £4.48million in Local Growth Fund investment – subject to the submission of a detailed business plan – by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership; the private sector-led partnership which promotes economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The remainder will be funded without borrowing through the Council.

The plans for the Assembly Rooms and Market Hall are part of the City Centre Masterplan, which aims to create 4,000 jobs, lever £3.5bn of investment and create 1900 new homes by 2030.

Background information:

  • The move to transform the existing Assembly Room building has been commended by the Royal Institute of British Architects, as well as local architects, who welcome the preservation and restoration of a building with significant architectural value, locally, regionally and nationally.
  • D2N2 is the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Local Enterprise Partnerships are private sector-led, locally-owned partnerships between business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary organisations.
  • There are 37 LEPs in England. They play a central role in deciding local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and create local jobs. D2N2, established in 2010, is one of the largest LEPs in England, covering an area with a population of more than two million people and with an economic output of over £45billion GVA (Gross Value Added). Its Chief Executive is Sajeeda Rose and its Chair Elizabeth Fagan. D2N2’s target is to support the creation of 55,000 new jobs in D2N2 by 2023. The majority of these jobs will be in the private sector. Its vision is of a more prosperous, better connected, and increasingly resilient and competitive economy. Its purpose is to support and encourage economic growth in the D2N2 region. See website d2n2lep.org or http://www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk
  • Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone.

That’s why by 2021 Government will have invested over £12billion through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.
Analysis has shown every £1 of Local Growth Fund invested could generate £4.81 in benefits.

Further information
If you would like some further facts about the Fund, or the wider regeneration work going on across the country, please contact the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government press office by emailing NewsDesk@communities.gsi.gov.uk in the first instance to request any additional information you might need.

Some additional key facts:

  • There are 37 LEPs covering the whole of England
  • The government has awarded £9.1billion in three rounds of Growth Deals to local areas to drive economic growth.
  • LEPs are investing in a wide range of projects informed by detailed analysis of the most pressing economic needs in each of their areas, including transport, skills, business support, broadband, innovation and flood defences.

Some Midlands Engine key facts:

  • The government is committed to making the Midlands an Engine for Growth in the UK, increasing economic growth and improving the quality of life for everyone. The Midlands is home to over 10 million people and over 780,000 businesses. Its economy is worth £217.7 billion.
  • Government has awarded £1.9billion in 3 rounds of Growth Deals across the Midlands.
  • 8 Enterprise Zones have been established in the Midlands Engine since 2012, and 3 zones have been extended. By March 2016 these had attracted almost £1billion of private investment, and created 85 new businesses and 7,291 jobs.