Derby: Apartments approved at historic fire-hit engineers club

An artist's impression of how the apartments would look

A derelict but historic building in Derby will be redeveloped to create 32 new apartments.

Planning officers at Derby City Council have approved a scheme for the former Derby Engineers Club in Osmaston Road.

The locally-listed property, built in 1824, was badly damaged in a fire in April 2021.

The Derby Engineers Club moved into the building in the 1930s but it closed in 2013, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Under the plans, the rear of the building - which was destroyed in the fire - will be partially demolished before the club is turned into eight new apartments.

In addition, three new three-storey apartment blocks will built on land behind it.

The council said there were benefits to creating housing on the site

Planners said the disused building had been left "susceptible to damage".

A city council planning report said: "This is a sustainable brownfield location, close to the city centre and with good public transport links.

"The proposal would result in the acceptable re-use of a vacant, locally-listed building.

"Any harm to the locally-listed building must be weighed against the public benefits of removing the unsightly rear extensions, providing more housing and bringing the vacant building back into use."