The deadline for Derby City Council’s city centre conversation has been extended to offer more people a chance to put forward ideas for positive change.
Derby residents, visitors and businesses now have until 21 September to have their say on a new vision for the city centre and what they would like to see happen in Derby.
As part of the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to meet the challenges of the 21st century, Derby City Council has published a document called Ambition. It sets out issues the Council thinks the city is facing and suggests ways that they could be addressed.
The document includes a range of questions, based around 12 themes, that aim to assess the reaction of people who live and work in Derby. These are
- Climate change
- Culture
- Public realm
- Green and blue infrastructure
- City living
- Accessibility and connectivity
- Heritage
- Design quality
- Learning
- Business and creativity
- Shopping and leisure
- Delivery and coordination
Derby’s city centre conversation about the Ambition document began in June on the Let’s Talk Derby website. It involves engagement events with local residents, young people, businesses, the voluntary sector and other key partner organisations.
Everyone is also welcome to learn more about the Ambition document and share their views in person at a pop-up shop on St James Street until Wednesday 31 August.
Council officers are available to answer questions at the drop-in sessions on
- Tuesday 30 August, 10am to 2pm
- Wednesday 31 August, 12 noon to 4pm.
The vision will focus on longer-term ideas and actions that will secure the future of Derby. It will recognise the challenges facing all city centres, not just Derby, and provide an over-arching ‘direction-of-travel’ for transformation.
Councillor Steve Hassall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Decarbonisation, Strategic Planning and Transport said:
We want to ensure a meaningful conversation to find out just how bold our long-term vision for the city centre should be. We have had some ideas, but we want to know what local people think, and hear their suggestions for transforming the city centre into a place people can feel proud of and want to visit.
Some people might not have had enough time to get in touch before the end of the summer holiday and we’re pleased to have extended the deadline so more people can take part.
As well as the online questionnaire, there are lots of quick activities such as polls, discussion boards and interactive maps to get involved with.
Everyone who lives, works or visits Derby can play a part in shaping a vision for how the city should look in the future.
This is the first time a city-wide future regeneration conversation has taken place of this size since the City Centre Masterplan was developed in 2016. That plan brought about exciting developments within the city, including the Becketwell development and the Our City, Our River flood defence scheme.
These conversations around the Ambition document will inform the next stage in the process of developing a new City Centre vision to be published in 2023.
Join the conversation at Let’s Talk Derby
Drop in for a chat at the City Lab, 19-21 St James Street, Derby DE1 1RF