COUNCIL - LACK OF SUPPORT

NO CONTRACT
City council leaders rejected calls to reconsider a contract drawn up with developers to regenerate Derby's Roundhouse. Developer Urban Catalyst had reached an agreement with the council for a Ł20m four-year redevelopment of the Pride Park landmark, which has stood derelict for 15 years.

But the agreement was "called in" by three Labour councillors over concerns that the developer could walk away from the deal after two years. Their complaint was upheld by the council's scrutiny commission, but the Lib Dem/Tory cabinet said it was happy with the agreement.

PLANS SHELVED
Plans for a hotel and restaurant at Pride Park's historic Roundhouse could be shelved as Derby College is considering the building as a new base for its technology courses.

The developer, London-based Urban Catalyst, has been in talks with Derby College, which is looking for somewhere to base its new Centres of Vocational Excellence in technology, construction and engineering.

If an agreement is reached, it is likely the refurbished building would accommodate the college rather than a restaurant and hotel, as previously suggested.

HERITAGE LOSS
So yet again the old Roundhouse has fallen by the wayside owing to the lack of uses for the building. Might I make the following suggestion as to its future use? The building is about railways, Derby's heritage on that whole site is railways, it always was and, to many, still is.

I suggest the powers-that-be look at the idea of building a complete railway station frontage, incorporating the Roundhouse and the new railway station footbridge off platform six. The old building could tell the story of railways in our city and become a useful building again.

The present railway station frontage, although a recently redeveloped one, is, I believe, wholly unsuitable to cope with the growing numbers of visitors, especially when a growing number of cars are fighting for position in an inadequate car park.

It's no better when our public transport also has to fight for position to park correctly because of inconsiderate car owners using bus stops to offload their cargo. A new Derby Railway Station frontage would be ideal, making better use of the large open space around that site, with better car parking facilities and more room for public transport. Geoff Clark

COUNCIL - LACK OF SUPPORT

Pete Waterman claimed that Derby missed out on his Ł1.5m dream for the Roundhouse through a lack of support from the council. Mr Waterman brought his rail heritage company, Waterman Railways, to Derby in 1995, with the promise of 100 jobs. But the following year, he abandoned his Ł1.5m plans to convert the Roundhouse into a railway heritage centre. He has since set up a centre in Crewe, where he employs about 240 people. By contrast, the Roundhouse is still derelict seven years on. Mr Waterman spoke about his decision saying, "If the council had allowed me to develop my project, there would be a lot more jobs in Derby."

However, Derby North MP Bob Laxton, who was council leader at the time of Mr Waterman's abortive Roundhouse plans, said that there had never been any dispute with the council. He said, "He was in dispute with Railtrack about access charges because they were wanting to charge a fortune to run steam engines because they burnt embankments and that sort of thing. As a result of that, he pulled out. But we were keen to actually re-establish the Roundhouse, and it was great that Pete Waterman was here."

Since then, the Roundhouse has been the subject of many plans and ideas which have all fallen through and it has now stood derelict for a total of 15 years. The latest plan is a Ł20m project by developer Urban Catalyst, which wants to restore the property and introduce new buildings to contain apartments, offices, a hotel, leisure facilities, a casino, retail space and an arts venue. City council leader Maurice Burgess said there had been a "positive meeting" with the developers and the plans were going ahead.

A scheme aimed at reducing the number of abandoned cars that are set on fire has been snubbed by Derby City Council. Derbyshire Fire Authority is leading a bid for Ł88,000 from the Government's Arson Task Force fund to provide a driver and lorry for three years to remove abandoned vehicles from the streets within 25 hours. But, following the city council's refusal to pay Ł3,500 a year towards the costs, the scheme will now be set up in Bolsover and north east Derbyshire. The fire authority oversees the running of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, whose Ł30m annual running costs are met by Derbyshire County Council (75%) and Derby City Council (25%).

The removal of abandoned vehicles is the responsibility of local authorities and a notice has to be displayed on the car for a certain period before the vehicle can be removed. Earlier in 2003, new legislation reduced that time period from seven days to 24 hours and the Government is urging councils to cut car fires by removing abandoned vehicles as soon as possible. The city council employs contractors to remove 25 abandoned cars in Derby each week and removal takes three to four days from the time of notification.

The fire authority invited Derbyshire police and the city council to support the funding bid. The council was asked to pay Ł3,500 each year for diesel for the lorry. When the city council refused, the fire authority approached Northeast Derbyshire District Council and Bolsover District Council, which agreed to stump up the cash. A joint funding bid has now been submitted. Councillor Lucy Care, Derby City Council's cabinet member for planning, transportation and environment, said, "To have a special vehicle to remove, on average, four cars a day might not be the best use of resources. Our contractors can slot in our requests between other jobs."

Bernie Cahill, the fire authority's chief fire officer, said, "If the pilot scheme is successful, I will be inclined to ask the fire authority or the district councils to fund its continuation. How Derby City Council chooses to have abandoned cars removed is up to them." The fire authority vice-chairman, Labour councillor Richard Gerrard, said, "It's a disgrace that the people of Derby have been denied this service."

Converting the city's historic Roundhouse building into an engineering and technology campus for Derby College could cost Ł26m. But fears that the project is too expensive have been allayed by Derby North MP Bob Laxton and Derby City Council chief executive Ray Cowlishaw. They are confident that the college will be able to find the Ł12m shortfall. The pair spoke out just hours after the city council cabinet granted Derby College extra time to raise the cash for the new facility on the seven-acre site in Pride Park.

The city council cabinet decided at the 11th hour not to sign a development agreement with London company Urban Catalyst and instead allow Derby College to press ahead with its plans. This is despite the college not having sufficient funds to complete the work. The facility would allow it to move from its Pride Parkway campus, which is being sold off.

Mr Laxton said, "Although the original Ł26m estimate left a Ł12m funding gap, there is every likelihood that this could be down to somewhere between Ł1.5m and Ł2.5m in the near future. I've been conducting meetings with senior staff in several organisations to find out what additional funding can be tapped into. There was always going to be a funding gap because of the specialist nature of the work needed to restore this historic building - the last of its kind in the world."

Likely additional funding sources are the Learning and Skills Council, the East Midlands Development Agency, English Partnerships and the city council. Mr Cowlishaw said that the Grade II* listed Roundhouse site is sufficiently important to merit substantial public funding. He said, "We owe it to the people of Derby to get the best possible deal. The council will be speaking to government officials and we will work with the college to do the necessary." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

Which organisation will be the one to demolish the last remaining historical artefact of worldwide interest that Derby has to offer? Who is going to be made famous for ripping the railway heart from the history books? Why are the powers-that-be determined to wipe Derby off the tourist map? What is there left to see other than a waterfall that looks like a urinal or a pot ram? Where is our past?

What a great opportunity for some bright spark to see the potential in saving and restoring the Roundhouse! Why can't it be part of something new, instead of getting rid of it in the same way that we have got rid of every other historical feature and replacing them by modern, arty-type creations? And now we could get rid of St Helen's House, for the sake of a big, wide road.

Other areas of the country insist that new buildings be in keeping with the environment. Can you imagine Stratford-upon-Avon or Chester having a building like the Quad centre in the city centre? I can't begin to imagine where the staff at the tourist information office on our rarely-used Market Place tell visitors to go and see as a representation of Derby. The Cathedral must get packed as it is about the only thing left, for now, that is. Chris Bloor

The Roundhouse is to be transformed into a university visitor centre using Ł4.38m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is the final portion of the Ł29m project to be raised. It will be restored and turned into a part of Derby College where people can learn more about the city's history. Plans for the building also include a travel shop and hair and beauty salon. Lottery spokeswoman Emma Sale said, "These buildings represent an important and vibrant time during Derby's industrial revolution and it is only fitting that they will return as a social hub for the city." (Source: BBC News, Jun/06)

The Roundhouse is to be turned into the main Derby College campus at a cost of Ł36m. Derby College will renovate the Grade II* listed building and incorporate it into an engineering and technology campus, which will be used by more than half of its 25,000 students from 2009. The development will involve restoring the main Roundhouse building, which houses a central turntable, as well as nearby buildings, which will be developed as an annex.

The main building will also be opened as a visitor centre, possibly with a steam engine on the turntable. The Roundhouse campus will be the new site for construction courses, currently at Mason's Place, in Nottingham Road, and all courses currently at the college's Mackworth site, except for sport. Sport courses will be developed at Mackworth and will form part of a new sports academy, which will include a new sports hall, gym and fitness suite and all-weather pitches. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Sep/06)