Market Place deal paves way for Assembly Rooms to go

A deal to carry out the regeneration of Derby's Market Place has been signed ahead of a meeting to allow the demolition of the Assembly Rooms.

Plans for a new look Market Place, including a new multi-use building being built in the Assembly Rooms' place, were agreed in July.

But the scheme cannot progress until a condition requiring a "Development Agreement" to be in place, allowing the existing site to be levelled, is discharged.

Ahead of a planning meeting to discuss this on Thursday 3 September, Derby City Council said it had signed a "milestone" deal with ION Property Developments Ltd for the work.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it means ION will work alongside the Labour-led authority to deliver £100m plans "to regenerate several sites across the city centre, including the Market Place".

The Market Place scheme will see a new building providing a music venue, cultural and exhibition space, a library, and working and meeting areas, including a rooftop bar.

The Assembly Rooms, which opened in 1977, has been closed since a fire on the roof of its car park in 2014.

While permission has been in place for it to be demolished for years, a condition had prevented it being cleared in isolation without a plan to replace it in place.

A 160-room hotel and a five-storey office building will also be built nearby.

Council leader Nadine Peatfield has hailed the deal as an "important milestone" for the city.

She said: "We know how desperate everyone is to see work starting on site, me included, and the signing of that contract brings that day even closer.

"ION Property Developments has an excellent record for delivering regeneration projects on this scale. By bringing a private sector development partner on board, we can benefit from their expertise, capacity and investment to help bring these ambitious plans for the city centre to life."

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