First residents move into homes at former goods yard

The first residents are moving into homes built on a site in Derby which had lain derelict for decades.

A total of 276 homes are being built on the Friar Gate Goods Yard site in the city centre.

Development of the 11.5-acre site started in October 2024 and the restoration and construction programme is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2028.

Work is continuing on the remainder of the homes and the restoration of the 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House, which will become offices and commercial units.

James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said the project showed how homes could be built on urban brownfield sites.

The site was built to be the main goods depot for the Great Northern Railway line, to handle coal, livestock, timber, and metals.

In World War Two, it was used as a store for the US Army to house ammunition and other supplies.

But for many in Derby, the site had been seen as an eyesore and back in 2020 a fire started by arsonists ripped through the former warehouse.

Dickens said the development demonstrated the benefits of building homes in city centres.

"I think you've got to do brownfield first. It's always been my mantra," he said.

"We should look at these difficult constraints in brownfield sites before we start desecrating the countryside and I think when you do a project like this it's already got an identity, it's already got a soul".

The restoration of the 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House will deliver 111,275 sq ft of flexible offices, health and fitness space, a restaurant/café and a regional sales centre for the Birmingham-headquartered developer.

Extensive new areas of open space, including pocket parks will also be created to enhance the biodiversity of the site.

Dickens said he felt proud of the restoration work his company has already completed.

"Every single rivet in the steels that you can see has been meticulously checked, utilising local specialists and now we're doing the fun bit, which is putting it all back together," he said.

"It's actually in pretty good nick now, every single joint in the brickwork is being raked out and repointed. We've been told the site is now essentially bomb-proof."

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