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BRIDGE DESIGN UNVEILED
2nd July 2007
Exciting plans for a new footbridge over the River Derwent, which will link new residential housing developments with the heart of Derby city centre, have been unveiled.
The bridge will be part of a £3.8 million improvement scheme for Cathedral Green developed as part of a comprehensive Public Realm Strategy led by Derby Cityscape – the urban regeneration company spearheading the £2 billion regeneration of the city centre.
The inspiring design of the bridge was chosen by Derby Cityscape, Derby City Council and the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership - due to its location as part of the at the start of the Heritage Trail, which begins at the adjacent Silk Mill Derby’s Museum of Industry and History.
Dean & Dyball’s Midlands Office is leading the team who will redevelop the Cathedral Green and build the new iconic swing bridge. The team, which includes award winning bridge architects Whitby Bird and landscape designers RPS, are relishing this opportunity to work in partnership with Derby to deliver this bold statement of Derby’s renaissance.
It has been funded as part of Derby’s £3 million award from the Government’s £40 million Growth Points scheme to support housing-related schemes tackling infrastructure and improving public open spaces.
The bridge will be used by pedestrians and cyclists and special features include the ability to swing to one side in the event of a flood.
Landscaping in the area around the bridge will start this summer and installation of the bridge will start in the winter and is expected to open next spring.
Derby Cityscape Chief Executive John Cadwallader explained: “The bridge and improvements to the surrounding Cathedral Green area are important aspects of both our Public Realm Strategy and the plans to build more than 5,000 new homes in the city centre.”
“This bridge will link major new housing schemes within the heart of the city centre and will become a gateway to the beautiful new public open space which will be created between the Silk Mill and the Cathedral – the start of the Derwent Valley Heritage Trail.”
“This will spearhead the regeneration of the whole area and attract both developers and potential residential buyers alike and is therefore an important milestone in the overall regeneration of the city centre.”
Ends
Media enquiries:
Sharon Stevens-Cash, Derby Cityscape: Tel: 01332 204194; s.stevens-cash@derbycityscape.co.uk
Sarah Jenkin-Jones, JJPR, Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945 665; sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk
Note to Editors:
• Derby’s bid for Growth Points funding was in partnership with Leicester and Nottingham
• The Growth Points initiative was in response to Kate Barker’s Review of Housing Supply in December 2005 and will make a significant contribution to achieving the delivery of 200,000 new homes a year by 2016.