Cathedral One: Major nine-storey apartment block opposite Derby Cathedral given go-ahead

The nine-storey block would include 195 apartments and sit opposite Derby Cathedral and the Silk Mill

Councillors have approved plans for a nine-storey tower of nearly 200 apartments in Derby city centre despite continued concerns from cathedral officials. At a Derby City Council meeting on Thursday night (October 3) councillors approved £30 million plans from Wavensmere Homes for 195 apartments and a cafe off Full Street, opposite Derby Cathedral, the Silk Mill, the Assembly Rooms and the River Derwent.

The council had been warned by UNESCO not to approve the scheme in its current form but the authority approved the plans, which have been tweaked during the planning process, by a vote of seven votes for, two against and two abstaining. UNESCO, along with Derby Cathedral bosses themselves, had concerns over the impact of the planned nine-storey tower on the historic place of worship and the wider Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

In May this year, cathedral officials, while supporting the site’s development, wrote that they “need to be reassured that the view and light from windows in the cathedral are not compromised” and that the amended reduction in the planned building’s height was “modest”. Cllr Sara Bolton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Unfortunately it was approved. I spoke against it because I felt the design was not good enough for what is such a prominent site in the city centre.

“A nine-storey building in a prominent spot, which I feel looks more like a power station or a prison, was not appropriate on the buffer zone for the world heritage site and in a conservation area. That building is going to be there for a long time and I wanted to have an attractive building.”

Cllr Jerry Pearce said councillors had debated issues over the design of the plans versus the improvement to a derelict city centre site – once destined for offices. He said: “I totally agree with the thoughts of the majority of the committee in that the scheme has more positives than negatives for the city, bringing residents into the city centre and to revitalise that area. More footfall can only be a good thing.”

Speaking after the decision, James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “This challenging brownfield site, which has lain vacant for over a decade, occupies one of the best locations within Derby city centre and benefits from rich views of the Cathedral Quarter and the River Derwent. Receiving the go-ahead will help Derby to meet the high demand for new homes – and improve its Five Year Housing Land Supply.

“As with nearby Nightingale Quarter and Friar Gate Goods Yard, we will construct an exemplary development, reflective of the prime gateway location. By appropriately densifying this derelict brownfield site, we will create highly energy-efficient homes for well over 200 people, who will then spend their time and circa £5 million of disposable income per year locally.

“Prior to that, our construction programme will generate around 150 jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with Derby City Council to prepare for a start on site as soon as we are able to.” The building will have 36 studio apartments, 133 one-bed apartments, 17 two-bed apartments and nine “duplexes”, on the former site of a police station, demolished in 2013.

Previously approved plans for offices and 46 apartments on the site were not progressed due to changes in the economy and councillors felt the new plans were a better proposition. A total of 13 objection letters and three letters of support were submitted to the council, with concerns raised over the change from offices to apartments and the feared impact on the historic heritage site while supporters backed the investment in the city centre.

The sides of the building facing the cathedral would have a recessed top floor in a bid to reduce its impact. Historic England said the changes to the development’s designs had “alleviated” their concerns over the impact on the cathedral and “competition” with the tower of the Silk Mill.

Meanwhile, the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership has continued to object to the scheme saying the benefits of the scheme did not outweigh the negative impact on the setting of the Silk Mill. Council officers, recommending approval, had written: “The proposed residential use would increase the variety and amount of housing delivery hence the proposal is considered to be acceptable in principle in this residential area.

“The proposal would provide a high-quality living environment for the future occupants, regarding room sizes and access to natural daylight, which would be provided. The proposal would not cause any overriding adverse impact on highway safety or residential amenity.”

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