The chief secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones MP and East Midlands mayor Claire Ward, visited the Nightingale Quarter in Derby city centre recently to discuss how the regeneration of vacant brownfield land can be accelerated.
Wavensmere Homes’ £175m development is in the final construction phase for 925 houses and apartments, together with a range of community amenities. Situated off London Road, the 18.5-acre site – which had lain derelict for a decade prior to its acquisition and start on site in 2019 – is said to be one of the most significant residential regeneration projects under construction in the UK.
Jones said: “House building is a huge priority for this government. Not only is building more homes vital to our mission to achieve greater economic growth, but it is also a vital component in our ambitions to improve living standards.
“It was wonderful to meet everyone involved in the process of getting residents into new homes and understand the pressures and policies that are impacting social landlords, local government and residents. The insights I gathered will be integral going forward as I undertake the Spending Review across Government.”
Claire Ward, East Midlands mayor, said: “It is my priority to help create more beautiful mixed-tenure homes in places with excellent employment opportunities like Derby. People should be able to afford to live close to their place of work. Wavensmere Homes has four live regeneration projects in Derbyshire alone, which are delivering close to 1,500 homes – each of those is an opportunity for the people of the East Midlands to live a great life in a good job.
“Through knowledge-sharing and working hand in hand with the Treasury and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, we will get Britain building again.”
Nightingale heritage
The Derbyshire Royal Infirmary opened in 1894 and closed 15 years ago. While the vast majority of the Florence Nightingale-designed Victorian hospital had been bulldozed, Birmingham-headquartered Wavensmere Homes pledged to save and restore the imposing pepperpots, despite one of the buildings being previously consented for demolition.
Pepperpot South opened as the marketing suite for the 925 houses and apartments in 2021. With 95% of the homes now sold, the building has been re-purposed as a gym for residents’ use. The second (North) Pepperpot became The Fulton Partnership’s sixth hospitality venue in the Midlands when it opened in February 2024.
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “When we acquired this vacant site in 2019, we set out to design a landmark scheme that embraced the DE1 location and didn’t turn its back on the city centre.
“We are proud that our 925 apartments and houses have transformed the city living market, acting as the catalyst for thousands more homes to be delivered within central Derby. By installing new footpaths, cycle routes, roads, co-working space, a gym – and making a restaurant Nightingale Quarter’s new focal point – this redundant hospital site is once again a vibrant community asset.
“As we currently have over 3,500 plots under construction, or in planning across middle England, we look forward to continuing to assist the government and regional mayors with fresh insight into how much-needed residential regeneration could be accelerated.”
Main image: (Left to right) Darren Jones MP, chief secretary to the Treasury; councillor Nadine Peatfield, leader of Derby City Council; East Midlands mayor Claire Ward; and James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes
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