£60m for the project will come from the taxpayer, but questions remain over what will replace the Assembly Rooms
The demolition of the Assembly Rooms is a major part of the council plan but is it a good use of funding?(Image: Derbyshire Live)
Hundreds of people have already signed our petition urging Derby City Council to think again before it commits the city to a £100 million plan – including £60 million of taxpayer money – for the Market Place.
The proposal has been criticised by experts for not representing value for money and not what people want either.
We are concerned that knocking down the Assembly Rooms rather than finding a use for it, to be replaced by a mixed commercial and public use building, hotel and office block, lacks imagination and in the case of the hotel and office block could be built elsewhere instead of in the prestigious and historic Market Place.
We want the council to go back to the drawing board and see what better plan could be developed whether that includes the Assembly Rooms or not.
YOUR VOICE: Sign our petition to stop this madness and save £60m of taxpayer cash
The council’s planning control committee are due to meet next month to give the go-ahead to outline planning permission for the scheme for which there is very little detail. at all currently.
Other aspects of the plan bothering people including the cost – is £100 million going to be enough? – and timescale – of which there isn’t one currently but the development could be spread over at least six years.
As well as signing our petition, people have taken to social media to pass comments on the plans, especially the potential demolition of the Assembly Rooms.
These include one person who said: “The Assembly Rooms has demonstrated its fortitude by surviving 12 years of neglect. It’s structure and materials were built to last. We all know that this building would be treasured and brought back to life if it were in Norwich, Oxbridge or London, instead of Derby. It will survive.”
BE HEARD: Leave your signature on our petition and demand that the council listens
A second said: “Derby has been neglected for so long and is now so far behind neighbouring cities in terms of the mass of empty, derelict buildings and what it offers, that the problem is fundamental and arguably irreversible in the foreseeable future.
“It’s a horrible place to walk through. The Market Place is only a small part of a much bigger challenge.”
One person who appreciates the assembly Rooms said: “Perfectly good brutalist iconic building that will be much appreciated in future generations. Would be madness to knock it down. The fact it has stood empty for 10 years is a disgrace.
“Derby deserves to get the Assembly Rooms refurbished and back in use. Remember watching the snooker championships by here back in the 80’s. Sad state of affairs.”
We have also been asking people in our poll what they would like to see happen to the Market Place or Assembly Rooms.
A number of people said the Assembly Rooms should be turned into a swimming pool, or ice rink or both, like one person advocated: “I have always said it should be an ice rink to compete with Nottingham or as others have said a central swimming pool so why not have both?
“A swimming pool during the day then at night an ice rink? This would be something for young and old too. I also think what’s missing is a huge hypermarket so why not bring in one of the big guns in like Asda Sainsbury Tesco to have at the ground floor therefore your getting footfall during the day and night then on top of the building more apartments so you have more people living in the city.
“But we need a carpark so why not have an underground one if they are going to demolish this one?”
What do you want to happen to the Market Place and Assembly Rooms? Vote on the experts’ ideas:
If you want to stop this huge waste of money, sign our petition on change.org and demand that the council listens to our concerns. Democracy doesn’t happen unless you get involved.
