Derby's Becketwell Development under construction

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!