After £2bn investment, where does the city go from here?
Published: 2010-05-20 09:29:40
This is the question some of Derby's top regeneration professionals were discussing at a recent roundtable.
Sourced from The Derby Telegraph, the discussion looks at where the city has come and what its future holds.
JOHN FORKIN (JF): The title of this debate is Derby's Regeneration – Let the Next Phase Begin. There is a sense that phase one of the city's regeneration is coming to an end this year. The opening of Westfield was the starting whistle for massive investment in the city. Now it is time to change gear and move on to the next phase. I'd like to begin by asking Peter Richardson, as chairman of Derby Cityscape, to talk about how far the city has come.
PETER RICHARDSON (PR): When I came to Derby in 1997 my observation was that the city was some way behind its counterparts in terms of its regeneration. Then in the late 1990s and the early part of the 21st century, the public and private sectors started to work more closely. This formed the foundations for the establishment of Derby Cityscape in 2003.
A year or two after, the master plan was launched which set out the structure for the city's regeneration. The city, over the last five years, has changed dramatically. It has energy. It's alive in the mornings and alive in the evenings. It's a vibrant and much more attractive city, set in a beautiful county. Many people come to Derbyshire to see its countryside, but Derby was never part of that journey. Today we have the Cathedral Quarter, Westfield and a World Heritage Site. We are now part of their journey. The first phase was a relatively easy thing to achieve because it happened when the economy was booming. There are now several factors to deal with such as political instability, money and confidence. We have had a deep recession. There are still questions about a double-dip in the economy.
But Derby needs to use the situation to its advantage. While other cities may be withdrawing and sticking with what they've got, Derby should continue to raise its profile as a vibrant city. A partnership approach is needed to assist with the second phase of regeneration. The city has come a long way. Ten years ago I would never have believed that the Queen would come to dine at one of our city centre hotels. This is a massive tick in the box for the city. We need to continue this momentum.
Confidence is absolutely essential in business. The city is undergoing transition. The city council has appointed a new chief executive in Adam [Wilkinson] and has a new team around him. The economic situation at the moment is scary. But in terms of Derby I don't see it like that. There is a massive opportunity to build on what we have achieved so far. Regeneration has got to go on.
JF: Tim, you have come from a different continent to work in Derby. What do you think about the city and what do you think we should be doing next?
TIM HINCHEY (TH): We're in the entertainment business, which requires creating a multitude of partnerships within the community. Derby County is not only a distinguished sports team, we also see the club as a community asset. What has been really unique for us to see in Derby is how close the public and private sectors work together. I've worked in a number of cities all over America and they do not do this. Derby seems to have one voice. No matter who you talk to everyone seems to get behind the same message. It's why we wanted to be in Derby. What does the city need? Well, we recognise that not everyone is a football fan. That's why we are working hard to bring more music and arts events to Pride Park. We are trying to bring in more conferences.
To read the full roundtable transcript click here.
