REJECTED QUAD SITES

Derby City Council has been under fire since it announced its intention to build the £9.8m Quad centre on the site of the Sir Peter Hilton Memorial Garden, in Corporation Street. Many people expressed disbelief that there was not a viable alternative. Previously, the council had revealed some sites that were considered for Quad, such as the Riverlights bus-station development and St Helen's House, King Street, but now documents show that 17 sites were looked at in all. The documents, obtained under the new Freedom of Information Act show that the council explored five sites "in detail", while the remaining 12 were "dismissed without detailed examination".

St Helen's House
Council's reason for rejection: The need for new building works "will generate negativity"; site is outside European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) area and would mean Quad loses £1.7m in funding; site has low "footfall" and poor accessibility as it is the "wrong" side of the inner ring road; the building's grade I listing will limit development; insufficient car parking in the area. The council has previously estimated the cost of repairing the existing building at £5m.

Metro cinema/University art and design building, Green Lane
Council's reason for rejection: Estimated purchase cost of £2m would make project unfeasible; building is grade II* listed and would be difficult to convert; building would not fit two cinemas and was not adequate for gallery space; site is in the "wrong" part of town; Arts Council for England do not support the site; parking issues; £1.7m European Regional Development Fund cash would be at risk because no rebuilding work could start before 2006. Metro cinema would be homeless during development. University put the site forward as a potential location for Quad, combined with a university art and design faculty, even using the university's £4m grant from Arts Council which is now being used to convert a building in Pybus Street.

Riverlights (bus station redevelopment), the Morledge
Council's reason for rejection: Quad "identity" could be lost as it would have to be on second or third floors. Timescales are too short to change Riverlights plan; concerns over rent and ownership of Quad once land is leased to Riverlights developer Metro Holst.

Prince's supermarket site, Bold Lane
Council's reason for rejection: Site purchased above market rates by East Midlands Development Agency on behalf of Derby Cityscape (understood to be £2.5m) and its repurchase would make project unfeasible; plans are under way to use site as part of tourist shopping alley complex; at 4,000 squaremetres, the site is too big for Quad alone (which has a footprint of 1,100 square metres) and could therefore need a complicated development partnership with another party.

Car park, Amen Alley (junction with Full Street)
Council's reason for rejection: Site on the market for £770,000 and purchasing it for Quad would reduce construction budget for the project; two separate rights of access would need to be purchased; storage building would also have to be purchased.

St James' Yard, off St James' Street
Council's reason for rejection: No time to arrange "satisfactory purchase price"; Quad would be "hidden away". Planning permission for a niche courtyard development for bars, shops and restaurants has already been granted to Clowes Developments.

Six Kenning vehicle hire centre, Cathedral Road
Council's reason for rejection: The site would need purchasing; not a central enough location to maximise footfall.

Former BMW showroom site, King Street
Council's reason for rejection: Planning permission already granted for flats; poor location right next to inner ring road; low footfall.

Disused petrol station, Derwent Street
Council's reason for rejection: Site too small for Quad building; currently a "busy road area".Other known issues: Planning permission granted for flats and office development; Derby Cityscape wants to use site for a four- star hotel.

Former police museum, St Mary's Gate
Council's reason for rejection: The building is grade II listed, making redevelopment difficult; low footfall; building interior appears "inappropriate and unmodifiable". Other known issues: Property has just gone on the open market for £1.15m.

University development, Pybus Street
Council's reason for rejection: Planning permission for university's new £12m art and design building has been granted site is too small for Quad.

Motor Plus showroom, beneath Chapel Street car park
Council's reason for rejection: Inappropriate space.

Former family centre, Ford Street
Council's reason for rejection: The site is to become a £3.2m hub for creative industries, funded by Derby City Council, East Midlands Development Agency, Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership and the European Regional Development Fund.

Former Rams' Store, St Peter's Churchyard
Council's reason for rejection: Site has been sold (Fern Trading would not reveal to the Evening Telegraph what the site would be used for).

Derbyshire Royal Infirmary site
Council's reason for rejection: Derby Cityscape master plan envisages 1,350 new homes could be built on the site once many hospital services are transferred to new superhospital site in Mickleover.

NCP car park on junction of Mount Street and Burton Road
Council's reason for rejection: Inappropriate location. Other known issues: Site is part of a 3.25 acre patch which Wheatcroft plans to turn into a small retail park. The extended area includes the former Mackworth College site.

Site of proposed performing arts centre, north bank of River Derwent, near Darwin Place car park.
Council's reason for rejection: The proposed £40m performing arts centre is a long term development which would fall outside the timescale for Quad.

(Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

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