'INNOVATIVE' PLANS COULD SEE BIG CHANGES FOR CITY CENTRE
19.04.08
A £16m scheme to build apartments, offices and shops on the site of a former supermarket in Derby's Bold Lane will go before the city's planning committee next week.
And the same councillors will consider revised plans for the former magistrates' court and police station site in Full Street, now named Number One Cathedral Green.
The proposals were sent back to the drawing board after the Environment Agency raised concerns about the risk of flooding. The developers have since altered their plans and the agency has withdrawn its opposition
The former Prince's Supermarket in Bold Lane would make way for 25 apartments, shops, a cafe, offices and parking space under plans put forward by developer Blueprint.
Detailed proposals will be considered by the city council's planning control committee on Thursday.
Urban regeneration company Derby Cityscape described the scheme as innovative.
Chief executive John Cadwallader said: "It is important that any development within the historic Cathedral Quarter is complementary to the architectural landscape and we were delighted that Blueprint appointed architects of such expertise.
"There has been a lot of debate and discussion about arriving at the right design solution and we were very excited with the initial designs."
If planning permission was granted, as officers have recommended, work could start at the site later this year.
The development would be made up of four buildings, ranging from three to four storeys.
But the city's conservation area advisory committee has objected to the scale of some of the buildings.
Committee member and local historian Maxwell Craven said: "We are opposed to this development because it is just too big for a sensitive area like Bold Lane, right at the end of Sadler Gate.
"The original plans were going to be for a smaller-scale development with a lot of pretty lanes but that seems to have fallen by the wayside.
"I hope the committee sends this back to the drawing board."
English Heritage is also against the plans.
A report to go before next week's meeting says: "English Heritage raise objections to the scheme and do not consider that it would be appropriate for planning permission to be granted for the proposal in its current form."
Mr Cadwallader said: "We do accept the designs did not meet the aspirations of some with a special interest in conservation issues but we believe that the modified proposals do address visual impact issues that were initially a concern.
"This is a vital investment in the Cathedral Quarter and will bring new life to an area where there has been little investment for many years."
But the report by assistant director of regeneration Richard Williams recommends that planning permission be granted.
Councillors will also see revised plans for the redevelopment of the former magistrates' court and police station in Full Street.
The initial plans had been to renovate the listed magistrates' court to turn it into 51 flats while replacing the police station with offices and 74 apartments.
But the Environment Agency raised concerns about flooding risk to apartments on the ground floor of the refurbished former court building.
Now, developers Wilson Bowden has replaced the ground-floor flats with offices, which it hopes the agency will have fewer concerns about because they would not be occupied around the clock.
A spokeswoman for the agency said: "We have no objection to this revised application as long as Derby City Council ensures there are no other reasonable available sites which could be used with a lower flood risk."
Article courtesy of Kirsty Green Derby Evening Telegraph