Derby: Plans to transform city centre with shops and homes

An artist's impression of the plans

An ambitious "masterplan" to transform Derby city centre over the next decade with 1,250 new homes, restaurants and public spaces has been revealed.

The city's shopping centre Derbion is behind plans for the Eagle Quarter, which would see the development replace the Eagle Market and Derby Theatre.

Under the proposals, which have been published this week, Bradshaw Way Retail Park would also be developed.

A two-day public exhibition on the project will be launched next week.

Derbion wants to build 850 homes with new food and beverage, leisure and other commercial units at ground floor level at the Eagle Quarter site.

'Public boulevard'

At Bradshaw Way, developers hope to transform the site by building up to 400 new homes and 5,000 sq m of office space, as well as new public spaces.

Beth McDonald, commercial director at Derbion, said: "Our masterplan is the starting point for us to explore future opportunities over the next 10 years and beyond that will benefit both Derbion and the ongoing regeneration of Derby city centre.

"We believe that increasing the mix of uses across both the Eagle Quarter and Bradshaw Way sites would improve the vitality of the city centre, increase connectivity and encourage people to actively enjoy and engage with the developing spaces."

Phase one of the Eagle Quarter, called the Eastern Gateway, aims to improve public access to the city centre from Derby bus station, according to developers.

New theatre

This would also see a new entrance to the Derbion shopping centre on East Street, additional shops and leisure outlets and a new public boulevard built.

Derbion, which runs the Eagle Market, has announced its intention to close the facility and said that traders would have to be out by March 2023.

A £30m refurbishment of the city's Market Hall is ongoing but is not due to be finished until late 2024.

Meanwhile, Derby City Council hopes to build a new theatre on the site of the Assembly Rooms, which was closed following a fire in 2014.

The theatre has said it was "rapidly" outgrowing its current space inside the shopping centre.