Assembly Rooms redevelopment plan set for approval

Delayed plans to redevelop the Assembly Rooms in Derby are set to be approved.

The £100m scheme will be considered by Derby City Council's planning control committee on Thursday, having been recommended for approval by council officers.

The redevelopment was put on hold earlier this year after councillors voted in favour of delaying a final decision over concerns with the design.

The proposed development would involve the demolition of the Assembly Rooms, the multi-storey car park and 34 Full Street, and replace them with a "civic cultural anchor building" called Derby Made, a 160-room hotel, and a five-storey office building.

The venue, which opened in 1977, has been closed since a fire on the roof of its car park in 2014.

Work on the site has been repeatedly delayed for a variety of reasons.

It was due to be knocked down in 2024, but works were postponed so the demolition and subsequent construction work could take place consecutively, instead of the site standing vacant.

Nadine Peatfield, Derby City Council leader, warned in May that the delays could deter future developers.

"Confidence in the city at the moment is really high, you can see investment, we've got development, we've got cranes on the horizon," she said.

"But if they see that we can't get a simple planning application through, then people will be put off investing in Derby."

The planning control committee will meet at 18:00 BST on Thursday.

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