'It's disgusting' - Anger over abandoned Showcase Cinema with new plans for Burger King, Greggs and Starbucks

Residents living near an abandoned former cinema in Derby have called the site “disgusting” and welcomed major plans to transform it into something new.

New plans have been submitted to turn the former Showcase Cinemas site on Foresters Park into a care home, as well as new food and drink outlets including Burger King, Starbucks and Greggs.

Derby City Council is currently considering the fresh plans for the site with the two different planning applications sent to the local authority within recent months.

LNT Care Developments & Pear Tree (Derby Ltd), “a renowned care home developer”, wants to build a three-storey 66-bedroom residential care facility with associated access, parking and landscaping at the site.

Meanwhile, a separate planning application for the same site calls for planning permission to build an additional retail space for a drive-through Burger King restaurant and Starbucks coffee shop next to the care home. A new Greggs store is in the pipeline under the plans.

Pear Tree Ltd, which specialises in commercial regeneration, said in a planning statement that the work to regenerate the area was needed “sooner rather than later”.

There were plans to turn the building into a car showroom a few years ago. But those were thrown up in the air when the council expressed concern over demolition starting before planning permission had been granted. Since then, the site has remained partly demolished and left abandoned.

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Residents living nearby say they want to see change in the area after seeing the Showcase Cinemas site stood derelict for years and were very critical of the building’s condition.

Lynne, who has lived in the area for 14 years, said: “I think it is disgusting – I can’t believe someone is allowed to half demolish it and then leave it as it is.

“It’s an eyesore and I’m glad there are new plans in place. Burger King would be awesome, but we need more things for the community. I’m not sure if a residential care home would work with it being next to a busy road. But anything is better than leaving it like this.”  

Kushbakt Khan, who lives adjacent to the cinema building, said: “It’s such a shame to see the building as it is now. It needs to become a beautiful place to come to again. The nice lights and beauty have now gone. The cinema was a great place to go.”  

A third person, who did not wish to be named, said: “I’d welcome something new, definitely. It’s better than an empty building just standing there.”

However, it was recently reported concerns were raised over potential noise problems if the new care home is built.

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Council officers are concerned there would be noise problems due to the proposed location and activities in relation to the Lidl supermarket nearby the proposed care home.

The council stated in a letter: “In general, we still have reservations whether or not this is a suitable environment for a sensitive residential use based on the level of mitigation likely to be required to provide a suitable amenity based on the current proposals. It is clear that there will be sources of noise on all sides of the site, both during the day and through much of the night.”