The top 10 things Derby residents said they would change 'to make the city a better place to live'
Other areas of frustration include ‘dirty streets on Friar Gate’ and ‘lack of things to do’
Derby is a city facing many challenges.
Walking around the city, there are obvious issues that appear to show a high street in decline.
Numerous vacant and boarded up shops greet the eye and are impossible to ignore.
The perceived lack of culture and things to do in Derby means city centre footfall could be improved.
These problems are not unique to Derby.
Many other cities are facing the same issues.
Yes, things are moving in the right direction, with key players such as Dubrek Studios, Down To Earth Electric Daisy, Sadler Gate traders and more, working hard to make Derby a vibrant, attractive city.
However things cannot change overnight and problems facing the city right now need to be addressed.
It is not just Derby that is struggling to retain its soul and fight for survival.
Any of the latest headlines read some version of a big name brand, from wilko and Next to Marks and Spencers, disappearing from the high street.
It is widely considered that the pandemic exacerbated an existing problem of low foot-fall in the city centre.
It is a big headache for Government too, who is struggling to combat ailing towns and city centres.
A raft of measures previously unveiled by government included slashing business rates by a third for up to 90% of retail properties starting in April 2019 until 2021.
A £675 million Future High Streets fund was also set up, with the aim to invest in improvements to town centre infrastructure, reduce congestion and support redevelopment around high streets.
We asked the local community to see what they would like to change about Derby, to make it a better place to live.
We aim to put these ideas in front of Derby council to see if any are feasible or even if any are already planned.
Areas of concern cited by Derby residents covered a wide range of topics, from lack of music venues to antisocial behaviour and homelessness in the city centre.
We delve into the top issues that people think Derby is affected by, as residents share how they think Derby can improve to become a more attractive place to live.
10 things Derby residents would like to change to improve living in the city
- Assembly Rooms
- Lack of support for independent city centre businesses
- Free or improved parking needed
- Investment needed across culture, infrastructure and hospitality
- Area between Derbion and Cathedral Quarter needs modernising
- Transport networks need improving
- Lack of things to do in Derby especially during Christmas
- Dirty streets especially on Friar Gate and wider city centre
- Regulate building developers
- Music scene needs to be improved
1. Assembly Rooms ‘left to rot’ and is the ‘biggest waste of space’
The venue has been closed since fire broke out on the roof of the car park in March 2014.
In the meantime, the 46-year-old building’s Brutalist style - of unpainted concrete and geometric angles jutting out - remains a source of contention amongst Derby residents.
One local said: “Either fix or demolish the Assembly Rooms and make the Market Square somewhere with regular events to draw people into the centre.”
Some are unsure about what they would like to see happen with Assembly Rooms, but they are united in the opinion that something needs to be done about it.
Some people didn’t hold back, as one disgruntled local said: “The Assembly Rooms feels like the biggest waste of space, something desperately needs doing.”
One frequent visitor of Assemby Rooms in its heyday said: “Assembly Rooms has been left to rot for years, I used to go to shows all the time before the fire and the market square feels like a bit of a ghost town now.
“Get the Assembly Rooms old site sorted now that the new Becketwell site is being built, even if that just means demolishing and putting some grass down for now.”
2. Local businesses need support as city centre looks ‘really terrible and empty at the moment’
People feel local businesses need more help than ever.
One resident said: “Give more support to local businesses.
“Due to the cost-of-living crisis so many small shops and businesses, Soudbites on Morledge or Plant on Sadler Gate to name a few, had to close.
“The city centre looks really terrible and empty at the moment.”
One person couldn’t help reminisce about ‘the good old days’ as they said: “I remember moving to Derby around 20 years’ ago and you could spend the whole day going round all the amazing shops and market stalls, there was so much to do, you probably couldn't even do it all in a day.”
3. Free or improve parking as it is currently ‘killing trade in the centre’
One way to tempt shoppers back into the centre could be free or subsidised parking.
A resident said: “Free parking even some days will draw shoppers back from the satellite retail parks.
“The reason we have so many closed and failing shops is partly due to really poor access to the city due to one-way and no-way roads in the centre, and the fact you have to pay to park anywhere, no wonder people go out to Wyvern and Meteor rather than buy in smaller stores.”
The cost of city centre parking could soon add up, says one resident who appeared dismayed by the cost.
They said: “Lower the car parking charges, especially the metres, because £1.60 for 30 minutes is killing passing trade on places like Babington Lane.
“30 minutes free would help a great deal.”
Citing the free parking in Sheffield, one Derby resident said: “We definitely need improved parking in the city centre, Meadowhall isn’t that far away and has free parking with a similar range of shops so we tend to go there instead.”
4. Broad investment in infrastructure, mental health services and culture as city ‘needs to offer things people need to physically attend’
Investment was a key area that Derby residents said was much needed in the city centre.
One local said: “Culture and arts should be an area of investor focus, as many people don’t shop in-person anymore so investing in shopping areas is throwing money away.
“The city needs to offer things that people need to physically attend, so better music, drama and comedy venues would be a start.”
Trying to tempt people to visit the city centre could be made easier if investment in city centre hospitality and entertainment venues starts now.
A resident said: “Venues we have are struggling to stay open, the council needs to do something that brings in those who would rather visit pubs and restaurants in their suburbs than the city centre.
“The local suburbs is where the money is, and where it’s being spent.
“Try to support the independent businesses trying to do this in the city itself, raise their profile and find a balance with the shopping centre.”
Services that help vulnerable people was also an area of concern amongst the people of Derby.
One person said: “Mental health and addiction support services need investment, the city has a massive unhoused and drug-dependent problem,” whilst another added: “More investment and social support is needed for service users in the Green Lane area.”
Targeting areas that need help the most, could be part of a wider solution to raise standards of living in Derby city centre.
One person said: “We need to actually invest in the crap areas of the city, and then help make areas such as Sadler Gate and Iron Gate flourish into our own smaller versions of Hockley and the Lace Market.”
5. Area near Derbion and St Peters Street needs improving
It can sometimes feel like a tale of two different cities, despite areas sharing the same postcode.
Cathedral Quarter is home to a number of independent shops such as George Brigdens and London Camera Exchange.
Whilst Derbion also has independent trader presence including 1NE. and more, the area immediately outside the shopping centre has numerous shuttered shops.
St Peters Street was an area that was singled out by locals that needed vast improvement.
One resident said: “Sort out the areas between the Derbion and Cathedral Quarter as they’re very run down” whilst another person added: “Brightening up St Peters Street would be good.”
Babington Lane in the city centre was also viewed as an area vastly needing improvement, as one local said: “The pavement on Babington Lane is like an obstacle course, it is so narrow, terrible for pushchairs and wheelchairs.”
6 . Improved transport networks including Derby to Nottingham tram ‘would be so handy’
There may be certain areas that need help more than others, but getting into the city in the first place, especially if it is deemed problematic, was seen as a problem by residents.
One said: “We need to improve the transport networks from the outlying suburbs, either park-and-ride systems or a tram network.”
One resident didn’t have much hope for a tram network coming to Derby as they said: “It’s a long shot but a tram link for Derby would be so handy.”
One local wanted to see suburbs being linked to the Derby city centre and also trams between Derbion and Sadler Gate “as it’s currently an ‘either or’ when considering where to go.”
One resident said: “Derby could be connected to the Nottingham tram for better public transport” whilst a resident of Littleover said: “bus routes from Littleover to Mickleover would be good.”
7. More things to do especially in festive season as ‘last year’s Christmas light switch on was an absolute joke’
The summer may see a flurry of events such as the recent Derby Festé and various beer festivals including Derby Beer Con and Five Lamps, however some residents feel let down by festive season offerings.
One resident said: “Last year the Christmas light switch on was an absolute joke, we were in Derby visiting relatives and stopped off on the way home.
“I’m so glad we didn’t travel especially for the event which consisted of around two seconds of fireworks and a couple of kids rides on the market place.
“Burton is far smaller but does this better, their high street and market place is full of people with stalls and rides and then it’s a good firework display which brings people out to spend money in the town.”
There are some things that the city is doing right, and one of these is an acclaimed museum.
A local said: “The events the Museum of Making is putting on, are a real draw as is Derby Festé.
“Having more entertainment, especially children focussed during the holidays will bring people into Derby and rejuvenate the whole Cathedral Quarter.”
8. Dirty streets and ‘ridiculous litter’ make Derby look ‘dreadful’
Cleanliness was another issue that was raised by concerned locals.
One said: “Get more cleaners in to wash city centre streets and Friar Gate, some of them are filthy” whilst another said: “The amount of litter has always been ridiculous and makes the place look dreadful.
“For a start get street cleaning sorted, it’s an issue across the city and is getting worse, as are blocked drains so you’re getting soaked by passing cars when it rains.”
There are some clean areas in Derby, however the disparity was questioned by one resident who said: “It shouldn’t be OK that some areas are clean and others aren’t.
“Either there needs to be outreach programs to teach people to be cleaner, or strict and swift penalties.”
One local thought litter picking may help as “there are so many areas in Derby that are full of old rubbish and the council is not doing much about it.”
One area that came under fire for being ‘really poor’ was Green Lane, which was also described as ‘vile’.
9. Regulate building developers who have ‘stranglehold’ on some inner city projects
Some building developers are viewed with distrust by Derby residents.
Reflecting on the state of limbo of Assembly Rooms, one person said one way to make Derby a better place to live, is to “ensure developers and building owners are pushed to maintain and restore buildings in the city - I’m looking at you, Assembly Rooms.”
Other unoccupied buildings came under fire too as one resident said: “Forrester’s area was never exciting but it’s a complete mess now.”
Private renting which is a country-wide issue was also a source of frustration as one resident said: “How about affordable rent-controlled housing?
“Private landlords and property developers have a stranglehold on all the new housing being built and they’re allowed to do whatever they want and charge as much as they want.”
10. Standalone music venues needed
Investment in entertainment was cited as a much needed improvement in Derby, however there is public appetite for standalone music venues too.
One resident said: “Better music, drama and comedy venues would be a start.”
Another local said: “There needs to be a decent gig venue that bands come to instead of just going to Nottingham” whilst another echoed this sentiment by saying: “Yes to a decent music venue, let’s have music venues where mosh pits are allowed.”
Although we focused on the top 10 issues preying on Derby residents’ minds, other issues raised include antisocial behaviour, homelessness, library closures, lack of green space and e-bikes in the city centre.
Next steps
Having collated Derby residents’ opinions, we will be contacting Derby council to get their thoughts about our list to see if there is anything they can do, or if they are currently working on projects that will help improve living in Derby.
If you would like to add to the list of things you would like to change about Derby to make it a better place to live, please email [email protected] with the subject title Make Derby Great Again.