Future of huge student block still uncertain three years after it closed over safety concerns

The future of a huge six-storey student accommodation block in Derby city centre is still uncertain - despite it being closed and standing unused for almost three years. Cathedral Court in Cathedral Road, which is managed by the University of Derby, was evacuated over fire safety concerns in January 2022.

Most of the 350 rooms in the complex were let and so it led to a panic as students tried to find alternative accommodation at short notice. Initially students were told they would have to vacate the premises for a few weeks but this was later changed to it closing for the rest of the academic year.

Eventually it was revealed in February 2002 that a fire report conducted just before Christmas prompted the decision to relocate students from Cathedral Court and that further assessments led to the decision to close the accommodation block for the rest of the academic year.

But as time as gone on, the building has continued to remain empty with no sign of work taking place to remedy any problems.

Derbyshire Live approached the university this week to ask what the future holds for the building. A university spokesman said: "The university is considering all available options for the future but has no firm plans at this stage."

The complex, on Cathedral Road in Derby, first welcomed students in 2016 and at the time of closure was charging £157.08 per week for the en-suite rooms for students at the University of Derby.

The fire safety report has never been made public and when asked by Derbyshire Live the reply was that the contents would "potentially harm its commercial interests and the whistleblower who highlighted fire safety issues at Cathedral Court".

It also declined to release the report in a response to the request that disclosing the documents could affect formal legal proceedings and that "the matter is currently under investigation".

In an email sent to students on December 22, 2021 the university said that there was not an increased risk of fire, "but in the event of one breaking out, it would be harder to contain its spread without making changes to the building".

Another student block in Cathedral Road received a fire safety notice in December 2019, which resulted in students moving out temporarily. Residents of The croft were offered free alternative accommodation until the fire safety issues were resolved.