CATHEDRAL GREEN

A river bus could be carrying tourists from the Silk Mill to Darley Abbey within five years in an action plan to improve the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site. The passenger service would run between a landing stage at Cathedral Green and another at Darley Abbey Mills and it is hoped the scheme could be completed by 2012 if funding can be found. The motor boat would cost around £150,000, with a further £150,000 needed for the landing stages.

Barry Joyce, chairman of the World Heritage Site technical panel, said, "It is a real desire of ours to establish a river bus from Derby city centre to Darley Abbey as an attractive, sustainable way of getting tourists from the city centre into Darley Abbey and back. A feasibility study was carried out on the project, which revealed that it would be cost-effective providing the capital costs could be found."

Derby City Council said it was looking for funding, with possible sources from Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership and East Midlands Development Agency. Ray Rippingale, assistant director for cultural services, said, "It is important the heritage site is not left to deteriorate and that we are coming up with ideas to take it forward. We are constantly looking for funding opportunities so we can launch this boat for real."

Harry Hopkinson, team leader for the built environment at the council, said, "To work it needs a tourist offer so it is important the bus idea develops as other schemes, such as work on the Silk Mill, starts going ahead." Cabinet member for leisure and direct services Alan Graves added, "We want to make sure the Silk Mill is refurbished to attract more tourists and this river bus will tie in very well with the tourist offer then." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jul/07)

Almost £7m is being sought to transform the Cathedral Green area to encourage people to buy into the idea of "luxury living" in the city centre. Officials from the city council together with Derby Cityscape have said the area is currently underused, despite having a prime location. They want to restore heritage features and build an 'amphitheatre' for open air performances and activities.

Proposals have been put forward by urban regeneration company Derby Cityscape and Derby City Council to create a multi-purpose area to attract visitors, host concerts and other events. The riverside would include a docking area and a footbridge to take pedestrians to Stuart Street on the other side of the River Derwent. While Full Street would remain open to traffic, it would be part-paved to make way for a wide, tree-lined promenade from the back of the Cathedral to the proposed footbridge.

Chris Williamson, leader of the council, said, "This is an under-utilised part of the city, which could be Derby's 'jewel in the crown'. With the catalyst of the new Eagle Centre extension and Riverlights finally getting off the ground, this is another sign that things are going in the right direction."

Derby Cityscape chief executive John Cadwallader believed the redevelopment could kick-start a wider regeneration and provide a focus for over 1,000 apartments being built nearby. He said, "Having a well defined, well designed space will encourage people to go and live there and give confidence to the housing market. We have to create a space that people want to use. We want to attract people from the city centre to the Cathedral area and we want the area to be more functional.

Attracting developers to the Cathedral area would tie in with Cityscape's plan for 5,000 homes as part of a programme that would see more than £1bn invested in the city by 2020. A £20m transformation of the former police station and magistrates' court, in Full Street, and a £14m plan for the former Eggleston Brothers steelworks, in Stuart Street, are among the residential schemes already planned. Another £22m development on the corner of St Helen's Street and St Alkmund's Way would see more apartments created, while a £25m Jury's Inn hotel is proposed for King Street. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun/06)