RIVERLIGHTS SCHEME

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Metropolitan and District Developments, parent company of MetroHolst, has gone into administration but the city council believes there will still be a positive outcome. The company is now in the hands of Sheffield administrators P&A Partnership and the council's chief executive, Ray Cowlishaw, said he was hopeful the administrators would be able to keep MetroHolst intact and sell it so the development could go ahead. Failure would mean another developer would have to gain planning permission for various elements of the project, further delaying its start. If another company is not able to proceed with the development, the city council could have its hands tied until mid 2007, because MetroHolst has a 150-year lease on the site.

The council is unable to break that lease unless MetroHolst fails to fulfil its part of the agreement by June 30, 2007, at which point the council would regain control of the site. The bus station closure went ahead, despite the council still awaiting a £5m bond from the developer, guaranteeing funding for a new bus station in the event of MetroHolst hitting financial difficulties. The development agreement stated that the bond needed to be in place before demolition work commenced, but, because this has not yet happened, MetroHolst has not actually breached the condition. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Feb/06)

Outline planning permission was granted in 1997 for a new bus station to be built on the site. It is planned that the current art deco building will be pulled down and replaced with a modern "airport-style" bus station. The new building will have 24 bus bays and five coach bays, with indoor seating, separate sliding doors for each bay and access for disabled people. The first storey would also contain shops geared towards bus and coach passengers, such as newsagents, coffee shops and sandwich stores.

John Bergin, co-director of MetroHolst, said, "We wanted to create a pleasant area for people who are using the buses. In the current bus station, it can be cold and wet, and this would not be the case with the new bus station. Although we have not come up with the final detail for the bus station concourse, we would like to include some elements of Derby's history or reference to companies such as Rolls-Royce."

Mr Burgess said, "Permission has already been granted for the bus station. I am happy with what MetroHolst has come up with for the bus concourse. I quite like the principle of dividing the buses from the people and it looks a comfortable and safe place for people to go." However, the proposals have been met with opposition from the Bus Station Action Group, which was formed to oppose the Riverlights scheme.

Tony Dunn, a member of the group, said, "We are opposed to the whole scheme. We think that the bus station should be left as it is, money should be spent on modernising it, and the surrounding area should be left. I am against the plans to have apartments there as they are in an air quality management zone, so there will be a problem with pollution. I also think it is wrong to change the character of an area so much by putting bars and restaurants there. Doesn't Derby have enough bars already?"

Campaigners who want to save Derby's bus station have accused council leader Maurice Burgess of a U-turn on the controversial Riverlights scheme. They claimed that, before he became the leader of Derby City Council, Mr Burgess was on the side of the people who want to save the 1930s Art Deco station on the Morledge and preserve the River Gardens. Members of the Bus Station Action Group, which was formed to oppose the Riverlights scheme, said that they believed this because Mr Burgess went along to a demonstration that the group held in August, 2001.

Mr Burgess has refuted claims that he has performed a U-turn and said that he never said that he wanted to save the bus station but that he wanted to preserve the Riverside Gardens. Campaigners hit out after Nottingham-based developer MetroHolst revealed its latest £83m proposals to build a new 29-bay airport-style bus and coach station, bars, restaurants, 150 apartments and an office block on the site.

Rosemarie Reeves, a member of the action group, said, "I feel very let down about this proposed development. It's horrifying. It will change the skyline forever and damage the Riverside Gardens, which is one of Derby's valuable green lungs. I thought that Maurice Burgess was on our side because he came to the demonstration - but it seems he has done a U-turn." Another campaigner, Pat Woolley, of Maple Avenue, Littleover, said that she was "appalled and disgusted" by the new plans.

She said, "I just don't know how the council could consider putting apartments and an office block on the site. And how will the Riverside Gardens be improved if we have high-rise offices and flats overlooking it? I can't believe the Liberal Democrats are going along with this. They are supposed to be responsible people that are elected by the people to carry out our wishes."

Mr Burgess said, "In 2001, I went along to the picnic as I wanted to find out what the group was talking about. I made it clear at the time I was interested in protecting the Riverside Gardens and that's still what I'm interested in. My stance hasn't changed. I've never said I wanted to save the bus station; I'm interested in protecting the Riverside Gardens. I went to the picnic to listen and learn what people had to say. The Riverside Gardens will be affected because more people will use them but they will be safeguarded and not developed. If this scheme goes ahead, I'm determined to see how we can enhance Bass' Rec, which is a public open space but is a neglected corner of the city."

Gala Casino, which runs 28 casinos in the UK, was close to signing a contract to become the first confirmed major occupant of the Riverlights development. An agent working on behalf of Riverlights developer MetroHolst confirmed that Gala Casino had instructed its lawyers to study the terms of a contract with a view to moving into second-floor premises on the proposed bus station site redevelopment.

Two other casino chains were understood to be waiting in the wings should the Gala bid fail. MetroHolst was also marketing the 150,000 square feet of office space to Government departments and agencies following Chancellor Gordon Brown's decision to relocate 20,000 civil service jobs from the south-east to the regions. Derby will have a new casino in the Riverlights scheme regardless of a city council bid to the Government under new gambling laws.

David Osborne said he was in an "advanced stage" of negotiations with Gala. Council leader Chris Williamson said, "We think a casino would be good for Derby. It will help in the regeneration of the city centre and have a positive impact on the economy." Derby already has the Carlton Casino, in Friar Gate, and the Stanley Derby Casino, in Colyear Street. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Apr/06)