Derby's Assembly Rooms car park reopens after fire

Derby City Council has declared the Assembly Rooms car park safe

Derby's Assembly Rooms car park has reopened three months after a major fire.

The city council has declared the building safe but the venue itself remains closed for up to 18 months and could even be demolished.

Businesses in the area have said they have experienced a drop in trade since the blaze in March.

The fire was caused by overheated machinery in an air conditioning unit on the roof of the car park.

Martin Langsdale, chair of the Cathedral Quarter Management Group, said he was "glad".

"The closure of the Assembly Rooms and its car park has been of great concern to all businesses in the area and has had an impact on trading from businesses in the immediate vicinity," he said.