The area adjacent to the the Derby Hippodrome which has laid derelict for many decades is now being redeveloped. Demolition of the previous buildings was completed last year (May 21) and included the removal of the dilapidated, former Debenhams building and a grim 1960s hotel.

Many members of the public were concerned that this area would be left as a wasteland for years to come, but thankfully that has not happened, the regeneration work has continued at pace. Amongst the new buildings being constructed at the moment is “Condor House”, an apartment block with 259 separate apartments with “free superfast wifi” due to open in 2023. This apartment block has been named after a historic Rolls-Royce engine the Condor III.

It is hoped that the new development will bring new life to the city centre by providing high quality apartments right in the heart of Derby. Derby’s city living drive is ahead of many other cities whose local authorities are all searching for ways to reinvent themselves after the decline in high street shopping, accelerated by the Covid 19 pandemic.

However, with all these new residents moving into new central residential areas such as the Becketwell, Nightingale Quarter and the expanding Castleward development the question remains, what are all these new residents going to do for entertainment? How will they spend their time? The Becketwell development will ultimately include a public square as well as a 3,500 seat performance venue. Whilst the new performance venue does go some way towards addressing the absence of theatres in the city, it is not the whole picture. A city the size of Derby needs more than just one new theatre! Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust believe that a restored Derby Hippodrome and the Becketwell performance venue will work well alongside each other and other venues such as the Guildhall Theatre as they would each offer something different to the future cultural landscape. Each one of the these venues would be essential in putting Derby back on the cultural map.

So what is happening with Derby Hippodrome? All we can say for now is that there is a lot going on behind the scenes in 2022. As the Becketwell development itself demonstrates, the long winded part of any regeneration scheme is the years an years worth of planning and political negotiations which have to take place before any hard hats can be worn. Then, when it finally happens, it happens fast!

As of November 2020 we are able to announce some exciting news which takes us much closer than ever towards restoring the Derby Hippodrome.

Despite suffering extensive fire-damage and vandalism over many years the Theatres Trust (a national body helping to restore theatres across the country) have confirmed that restoration of the building is achievable and a grant of £15,000 from the trust, together with other money which has been raised, is now being used by the Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust (DHRT) to appoint arts consultancy Bonnar Keenlyside.

The consultancy will prepare a business model to assess the long and short-term possibilities for the site, with respect to the present cultural, social and economic needs of the city of Derby.

Built in 1914 as a variety theatre, the Derby Hippodrome is Grade-II listed. It is high on the on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres at Risk list, in recognition of it being "a rare surviving example from an early stage in the crossover period when buildings were being constructed for both live performance and cinema".

DHRT was able to complete initial work on the feasibility of the restored Hippodrome after receiving awards from the Architectural Heritage Fund in 2010 and the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2019.

This was followed by a successful crowd-funding round, and subsequently DHRT was awarded a grant of £15,000 in May this year for the drafting of a business model from the Theatres Trust Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme.

DHRT chair Joan Travis said: “We are excited to bring experienced and acclaimed professionals Bonnar Keenlyside on board to do this important piece of work.

"We hope that the business model will give us a robust blueprint to move forward with the restoration of the Hippodrome for future generations.

"Although it is currently vacant and sadly deteriorating, the theatre has the potential to be rebuilt and restored through a phased approach which could, in the long-term, provide Derby with an exciting performance space."

Anne Bonnar of Bonnar Keenlyside said she was looking forward to working on the project and added: "We will be looking to determine what sort of theatre space and activity would be achievable and sustainable on the site and which would contribute to the cultural, social and economic life of Derby.”

The Hippodrome has been on the Theatre at Risk register since 2006. There are currently 30 on the 2020 list. In the past 14 years, 80 theatres have been saved from off the list.

Every theatre on the register has strong architectural merit or cultural heritage and, the potential to be returned to its original performance use and be a real asset to its community.

Claire Appleby, Theatres Trust architecture adviser, said: “We have reached a key moment in the story of Derby Hippodrome.

"Theatres Trust believes a restored Hippodrome Theatre could be a great asset for Derby once again and we have been supporting Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust on the best way to make this happen.

"The appointment of consultants will provide DHRT with a set of viable options for the theatre – and the vital next steps in securing its future.”

The report will be delivered by early 2021 and will include gathering thoughts and ideas from many stakeholders from across the communities of Derby and Derbyshire.

The announcement this summer of a proposal to build a new 3,500 seat performance venue as part of the Becketwell area regeneration programme is a very encouraging step towards the vision of a “Cultural Quarter” for Derby. The new theatre would be situated right at the very heart of the new development (on the site of the former Pink Coconut nightclub) as well as being only a few minutes’ walk away from the restored Hippodrome.

The plan has been devised by Derby City Council working with St James Securities who have been working to develop the former Duckworth Square site into an area for shops, offices and apartments.

It will be a fully flexible space, capable of staging shows, comedy acts, bands and conferences, with secondary space of up to 400 capacity and is scheduled for completion in 2024.

It will offer a significantly larger a more flexible space than the city has had in the past. The Assembly Rooms held 1,700 people.

The venue is intended to appeal to a wider range of audiences in a purpose-built setting run by a nationally-respected operator.

Meanwhile, it has been an exciting year for the Derby Hippodrome which has taken a number of key steps forward towards funding the stabilisation of the building and its return to use.

The four theatres (Derby Hippodrome, Derby Theatre, the Becketwell Theatre and the Guildhall) would then collectively provide Derby with the performance spaces it requires to put on the broad range of productions enjoyed in many other UK cities. The Hippodrome would be an essential ingredient for helping to nurture up-and-coming, local talent through the city’s many high-quality amateur groups.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus has put a huge amount of economic pressure on city centres and has accelerated a trend for city centres to be less focussed on retail and more focussed on becoming a destination for experiences and leisure. In the process these attractions help to support a variety of other businesses especially those in the hospitality sector.

Derby has embraced this shift in and is activity pursuing opportunities to transform the city into a place where high quality residential areas sit alongside tourist attractions, public spaces and performance venues.

The Becketwell scheme fits in well with the Derby Hippodrome Restoration Trust’s aspirations for the future. We look forward to working together with other organisations across the city to transform this section of the city centre into an attractive, vibrant cultural hub providing residents and visitors with a choice of performances every week of the year.

St James’s Securities have announced their ambitious new scheme for regenerating the Becketwell. The Becketwell area is adjacent to Green Lane and the Hippodrome and its successful regeneration is critical to the Hippodrome’s future success. The new redevelopment will consist of a mixture of homes, workspaces, hotel, retail and leisure space as well as new public square which will join onto Victoria Street.

The external façade of Green Lane House on Green Lane is now complete. The project was started in 2018 and has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The spectacular external façade was unveiled earlier this month. The restoration has been painstakingly carried out to a very high quality and highlights the fantastic architectural heritage in this part of Derby.

As well as Green Lane House, shop front restoration work currently underway on Green Lane is now helping to lift this area of St Peter’s Quarter. The Hippodrome is located diagonally opposite Green Lane House and its restoration is a key next step for this area.