Perspective #3

Derby’s regeneration magazine issue number three

◆ Rams winning for Derby economy page 22 ◆ University’s home-grown hi-tech page 25 ◆ The relocation location page 40 ◆ Manufacturing sustainability page 51

www.derbyperspective.com

issue 03 three

contents

Derby’s regeneration magazine

04 news All the latest regeneration news from Derby

08 the figures Prominent statistics, facts and quotes

10 projects

An update on the projects shaping Derby’s city centre

22 Head to head The president of Derby County FC and director of Marketing Derby

25 Hi-tech Looking at how the hi-tech sector and education outlets work together

29 wayfinding How Derby is helping visitors find their way into and around the city

33 Interview In-depth with

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Quote of the issue: “Forget Delhi or Dubai, it’s evidently time for Derby to take its rightful place on the world stage” financial times

city council CEO Adam Wilkinson

36 the professionals

48

The services that help make Derby

40 relocation How Derby is attracting new business to the city

48 case study

The regeneration of the Roundhouse

51 energy The companies leading the way in sustainability

54 made in derby The world’s largest clock...

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29

Executive editor: Kirsty MacAulay Acting editor: Siobhán Crozier Features editor: Alex Aspinall Art director: Terry Hawes Advertisement sales: Paul Gussar Production manager: Rachael Schofield Office manager: Sue Mapara Managing director: Toby Fox Published by: Lower Ground Floor, 189 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840 Subscriptions and feedback: www.derbyperspective.com Printed by: Tradewinds Images: Derby Cityscape, Marketing Derby, Richard O’Brien, Toyota, Newscast, Rolls-Royce Plc, Derby County FC, University of Derby Corporate, Andy Barker, Sheffield City Council, Martine Hamilton Knight/Builtvision. Front cover image: Derby’s historic Cathedral Quarter at dusk. © 3Fox International Limited 2010. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written ­permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly ­forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy of information in this magazine at the time of going to press, but we accept no ­responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this ­magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited.

news

Update

Latest news from the £2 billion regeneration programme to transform Derby’s city centre

TRANSPORT

FUNDING

£20 million innovation fund announced East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has announced funding of £20 million to enhance the region’s offer of facilities in innovation, science and technology. It will support development of premises focused on innovation and growth. Schemes eligible for investment are those hit hard by the recession.

The East Midlands Urban Development Fund (EMUDF) has already secured £15 million. Of this, £5 million is emda funding with an additional £10 million from the EU managed by emda for the region.

Dr Bryan Jackson, emda’s chairmand, said “This is the first UDF in England that is open for business and is taking advantage of new European Regional Development Fund flexibilities.”

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Riverlights launch Derby’s Riverlights project will deliver two hotels, restaurants, bars and a casino, in addition to the new bus station. The scheme made an important step towards completion in March, when the council opened the bus station. Developer Derby Riverlights Ltd stated the leisure elements of the project will be complete by October this year.

PARTNERSHIP

New regeneration partnership forged

The dramatic transformation of Derby’s city centre has already generated £1 billion of investment and its next phase will be driven by a new integrated regeneration partnership.

Derby City Council, Derby Cityscape and Marketing Derby agreed to a new structure under the

auspices of a new integrated private sector-led board. Derby Cityscape’s activities are to be merged into a new regeneration team in the city council.

Marketing Derby will remain independent and be given greater responsibility for city promotion and enquiry handling.

“Derby works really well for us, which is why we have centred most of Egg and much of Citibank’s technology requirement here. We never have an issue recruiting talented people in Derby” Bert Pijls, country business manager, consumer bank UK Citibank

Plans for the first council houses in 30 years have been announced, which will see 25 units built on part of the former Rolls-Royce site at Elton Road in Osmaston.

SPORT

FUNDING

boost the city’s relevance as one of Cycling England’s destination towns, could include a large outdoor track as well as the 250m indoor track.

The scheme would come as a major boon for the city, as residents would welcome fresh investment in its leisure facilities.

Plans are also in place for the velodrome to double as a concert venue and exhibition space.

£1 billion

Derby could become one of the country’s leading cycling cities if ambitious plans to boost its sports offer are successful.

Proposals exist for a £50 million boost in the city’s provision of civic leisure facilities, which would see a brand new velodrome built together with a new 50-metre competition standard indoor swimming pool.

The velodrome, which would

invested in Derby’s regeneration, £1 billion more to come.

On your bike Derby’s £10 million regeneration fund The city’s regeneration projects will be stimulated thanks to the council’s new £10 million kick-start fund.

Nationally schemes have been affected by the recession but this money will be used to help ensure momentum in the city is not lost, with developments such as Blueprint’s Sadler Square (pictured above) highlighted as eligible for assistance.

A £10 million regeneration fund was promoted to the development community by city council chief executive, Adam Wilkinson, during the Derby Embassy event at MIPIM, the international property conference in Cannes on 17 March.

First MIPIM, then ‘mini-MIPIM’ Investors and industry leaders attended Derby’s Property and Business Investment Show at Pride Park Stadium on 11 May. Following MIPIM, the Cannes international property show in March, the event brings together many of the contacts made there.

It promotes local opportunities to larger national property agents with clients seeking to re-locate.

“We want to see Derby topping their list when finding ideal locations for their clients,” said John Forkin of Marketing Derby.

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Update

Derby City Council is to consider an outline planning application for a mixed-use development to include 220 homes. It is located on the site of Derby College’s Mackworth campus in Prince Charles Avenue. The plans also include accommodation for older people along with health, leisure and

community facilities. The site is being marketed as a development opportunity by Marketing Derby Bondholder and commercial property consultants, Rigby & Co. Following the college’s move into its new city centre locations, a total of nearly 21 acres is being offered to the market on the Mackworth site.

PUBLIC REALM

EDUCATION

Last stage in BSF tender Balfour Beatty and Vinci Education have reached the final stage of tendering for Derby’s £220 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) contract. The preferred bidder, expected to be announced in July, will begin work on

14 schools later this year or early in 2011.

Derby is in the fifth round of the national BSF programme, running from 2010 to 2014.

Phase one could complete by autumn, with the programme scheduled to finish by September 2014. Initial work includes a major refurbishment of Derby Moor Community Sports College and two new builds: Noel-Baker Community School and St Martin’s School.

0 BUSINESS

Bidding for success

Awards aplenty

The Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) celebrated its second anniversary in March, after releasing figures detailing a 2% footfall increase between January and December 2009 when compared to the previous year. This comes at a time when average figures from across the country reveal an overall 6% decline in footfall. Plans are now in place to further capitalise on this progress over the coming 12 months..

Cathedral Green has attracted attention from award judges up and down the country since completion in 2009.

February 2010 saw it earn Derby City Council’s George Larkin Brighter City of Derby Award. Presented annually

by Derby Civic Society, these awards go to projects deemed to be the city’s best new building and redevelopment projects.

The footbridge in the Green also received national recognition, as it secured the Small Civil Engineering Contract award at the British Construction Industry awards last year.

The same project was also a finalist in the Public Building category in the Prime Minister’s Awards. ◆

markets

Vital statistics The statistics behind Derby’s office, retail and leisure markets.

David Gray reports

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Economy The city of Derby has a population of 239,200, with 117,500 economically active.

Technology is the economic backbone, with 18.7% of the workforce in 2009 in manufacturing (compared to 10.2% nationally). The city is especially strong in skilled trades (12.0% of employees) particularly in the high technology sector.

This underpins the city’s exceptional export performance – at £10,000 per head in 2008, this was three times the national average.

Earnings in Derby for full-time workers are substantially higher than not only the national and regional figures, but also for cities such as Birmingham and Nottingham.

Derby is the country’s most central city with 1.7 million people in its travel-to-work zone and six million people living within a one hour journey.

Residential market Derby continues to be one of the most affordable places to live in the country. The city’s average property price at the beginning of 2010, was just 66.4% of the average for England and Wales. This affordability underpins Derby’s high rate of home ownership (75%). Land Registry data also shows the city has recently emerged from

the national housing crisis with all property categories showing higher sales values in January 2010 compared with a year earlier.

There are also very positive developments in the city’s public housing. Plans for the first council houses in 30 years were announced in February and will see 25 units built on part of the former Rolls-Royce site at Elton Road in Osmaston. Bramall Construction will build the mixed scheme of 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units, which when completed in early 2011 will be managed by Derby Homes. Meanwhile, the council’s masterplan expects up to 36,000 new homes to be built in and around the city by 2025.

Commercial market Derby’s office market is set for consolidation and improvement in 2010, according to Innes England’s latest Market Insite report. Although no new Grade A space is available for immediate occupation, there is 850,000sq ft currently with planning approval. Recent large lettings include 93,000sq ft at Pride Park and a 12,300sq ft building taken by Porterbrook, the rail leasing firm. In the industrial sector, the city saw a record take-up of space in 2009 at 722,800sq ft compared to just 300,000sq ft in 2008.

Facts & figures

Retail market Derby has strengthened its retail offer in the past two years, especially in the key area of “comparison shopping”. Retail rents have remained static during 2009 and are currently £170 per sq ft for prime space and £155 average for zone A space. These levels are still well below retail centres in Nottingham, Leeds and Birmingham.

Culture and leisure Derby is one of only five UK cities with a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its city centre (The Silk Mill).

The city has 36 cinema screens, two theatres and hosts Darley Park Concert – the UK’s largest free outdoor classical music concert.

Sports facilities include Pride Park football stadium and the Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Derby will also soon have an indoor velodrome and 50-metre swimming pool. ◆

Comparison of prime office space

Employment in high technology

City

Derby

Cambridge

Bristol

Reading

Nottingham

11.8%

5.8%

4.9%

4.4%

1.8%

(Source: HMG State of the Cities)

The supply of new space will be boosted with the start this year of developments at Friar Gate Square (75,000sq ft by Lowbridge) and at Sadler Square (Blueprint’s £16 million mixed-use scheme). Bolsterstone has also just started work on the £12 million Central Square development in Cathedral Road.

Derby Nottingham Leeds Birmingham Manchester

Prime office rent per sq ft 2010 £16.00 £17.95 £25.00 £27.50 £28.00

(Sources: Innes England (Derby) and DTZ (Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham), 2010)

What they say about Derby…

“Derby is attracting an influx of well-qualified professionals seeking a higher quality of life.”

Financial Times

“Why isn’t the rest of Britain like Derby?”

Jeremy Paxman

“Families are attracted by the good reputation of local schools.”

Financial Times

“There can be few universities with a more modern perspective than Derby.”

The Sunday Times

£ Average gross annual earnings per full-time employee, 2010 Derby Birmingham Nottingham East Midlands Great Britain

(Source: NOMIS, 2010)

£29,895 £25,215 £25,028 £23,743 £25,490

“The city centre has been revamped and the Cathedral Quarter has plenty of charm with independent shops, bars and a new arts centre. There is no shortage of handsome buildings and the nightlife is lively and welcoming.”

The Times

“Derby has a crucial role to play in the country’s economic future.” miles templeman, director general, institute of directors

“In Derby, wages are above the national average. So are grades in local schools for subjects such as maths and science.” the economist

House prices in Derby 2010

Detached

Derby City England and Wales

£209,987 £258,105

Semi-detached

£104,758 £155,962

Terraced

£73,159 £125,090

Flats/maisonettes

£70,809 £157,978

All properties

£109,611 £165,088

(Source: Land Registry house price index, 2010)

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masterplan/development guide An overview of the major development projects that are shaping Derby’s city centre – and its future

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H RT O N

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10

5 13 2 1

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completed masterplan projects

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14 11

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1 jurys inn ££25 million

2 Cathedral green BRIDGE £3.8 million

3 joseph wright centre, Derby College £15 million

4 the roundhouse Derby College £36 million

5 quad £11 million

6 Cathedral quarter hotel £3.8 million

7 friar gate studios £3.5 million

8 Westfield £340 million

9 riverlights New bus station completed in first phase of major leisure, hotel, residential, office and retail development.

10 one derby Norseman’s business district and dynamic hub with contemporary hotel, retail, food and urban piazza.

11 central square Bolsterstone’s £12.4 million development, creating 4,700 sq m of city centre, grade A office space.

12 city gate house Cedar House Investment’s scheme will deliver over 5,500 sq m of grade A offices plus retail and leisure outlets.

13 No1 Cathedral green Five-storey development of grade A office space with street level restaurants.

14 sadler square Blueprint’s mixed use development of office, retail, lesiure and residential elements in the Cathedral Quarter.

15 Derby rail station gateway The multi-million pound project, creating a new gateway to the city.

16 Friar Gate square Lowbridge’s scheme of over 9,000 sq m in two landmark office buildings, located in a conservation area.

17 Former dri site One of the Midlands’ largest available sites, ten hectares, including neighbouring Castleward sites available in 2011.

18 st helen’s street Metropolitan Housing Partnership’s £22 million, eco-friendly housing project, bringing new life to St Helen’s Street.

19 Castleward Urban village Developer selection is underway, and work should begin early 2011.

See these schemes on a three-minute film at: www.qualitycity.org/office

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projects/office

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Central Square

Derbyshire-based Bolsterstone is pressing ahead with its £12.4 million Central Square scheme.

Groundwork has already started on site and the development will offer almost 5,000sq m of grade A office space when complete.

Standing five storeys tall, and with an enviable location in the flourishing Cathedral Quarter, Central Square is destined to become one of the city’s most sought after business addresses. The scheme is also designed to attain a BREEAM rating of excellent, necessitating the presence of high standards of sustainable design throughout the building.

Number One Friar Gate Square Full planning permission has now been Cathedral secured on Lowbridge’s £20 million Green office development. Incorporating Number One will become one of the city’s premier business addresses with almost 9,000sq m of grade A office space, as well as retail opportunities, to be spread across six floors overlooking the re-landscaped Cathedral Green and the River Derwent.

Full planning permission has now been granted on the £43 million development, which has been designed by Maber architects and brought forward by Wilson Bowden.

The development will have a BREEAM rating of excellent, and should be seen as a real sign of intent as Derby’s office portfolio receives a timely boost.

two separate buildings, both designed

by Peter Hudspith architects. As well as pedestrian connections, the development is expected to ensure this historic area of the city centre recaptures its place at the heart of Derby’s business sector.

When complete the development will offer just over 9,000sq m of high quality office space in addition to a pedestrian link to the listed Friar Gate Railway Bridge, which could be brought back into use as a new area of public realm similar to New York City’s High Line. This space offers views over the Friar Gate conservation area, and its regeneration would be of huge benefit to the city as it would offer a new green link for pedestrians and cyclists.

The development is intended to have a sustainable impact on the area in which it sits. Designed to complement the protected land surrounding it, the scheme is to ensure the relevance of the location for many years to come as it brings new uses and new people to this area of the city centre.

Work is expected to start on site this year.

City Gate House

Another office development destined to add to the vibrancy of Derby’s Cathedral Quarter is Cedar House Investments’ City Gate House. The £14 million, fourstorey scheme will offer 5,500sq m of space to be divided between grade A office space as well as a complementary retail or leisure offer.

The size and flexibility of the spaces planned in this development mean Derby will finally be in a better position to capitalise on its enviable geographical location, and attract more public and private sector relocations. Full planning consent has already been granted on this landmark scheme.

OneDerby

Office developments as big as Norseman’s OneDerby do not come along very often. Its six interconnected buildings, offering a total of 37,000sq m of space, will ensure this scheme becomes the largest of its type ever brought forward in the city. Its location at the heart of the strategically important Castleward regeneration zone means the development will serve to enliven the area between the train station and the city centre, adding muchneeded relevance to this area of the city.

The £150 million development, which has been designed to attain a BREEAM rating of excellent, will include an integrated 100 bed-hotel, as well as restaurants and cafes, all of which will be positioned around the scheme’s central piazza.

This area will become a real focus as people start to take ownership of the space. There will be an emphasis on relaxation and entertainment in the piazza.

Planning permission has already been granted for this project.

Sadler Square

Midlands-based developer Blueprint is to make its mark on the Cathedral Quarter with the creation of the £16 million Sadler Square development on Bold Lane.

Work is expected to start later this year on the mixed-use project, which will deliver office space of over 4,200sq m, as well as a new public square and premium retail and restaurant units.

Delivered to a BREEAM rating of excellent, the office spaces available will range from 278sq m up to just over 1,000sq m, meaning a healthy mix of occupiers is likely.

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continued overleaf

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projects/transport

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Derby Railway Station Gateway Last year saw around £22 million invested in improving the station’s platforms and replacing its canopies, and work is now expected to begin towards the end of 2010 on redevelopment of the railway station transport interchange. Seen as one of Derby’s key regeneration sites, the upgrading of the station area is designed to give visitors a more pleasurable experience as they arrive in and leave the city.

Investment from the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Derby City Council to the tune of £1.8 million is being used to create a new interchange at the station forecourt, while a further £1.3 million from emda, Network Rail

and the Railway Heritage Trust has been secured to refurbish a derelict building adjacent to the station and bring it back into use as employment space.

The station area is also among four major sites highlighted as strategically important locations as part of the city’s wayfinding improvements.

Riverlights

The first phase of one of Derby’s most anticipated regeneration projects finally met completion this year and was handed over to the council for its official opening just before Perspective went to press.

Delivered by developer Derby Riverlights, the new bus station, which sits in the heart of the city centre, offers Derby’s residents and visitors a significantly enhanced transport experience.

And the other elements of this headline-grabbing £50 million scheme aren’t far behind either, as the two hotels, casino, bars and restaurants comprising the leisure element of the Riverlights project are scheduled to be completed by October 2010.

Their completion means the transformation of a prime site in Derby city centre will be achieved. The mixture of uses offered in the scheme means this area can now expect to play host to visitors throughout the day and well into the evening hours, smoothing the way for further investment in the future.

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Inner Ring Road

Computer-generated Derby icon Lara Croft will be immortalised in the city after registering the high score in an internet poll to find a new name for Derby’s inner ring road.

Lara Croft Way will become the name of the Osmaston Road to the Burton Road stretch of Derby’s new £36 million inner road. The Burton Road to Stafford Street stretch, scheduled for completion by the end of the year, is to be named Mercian Way, in tribute to Derbyshire’s serving army regiment.

continued overleaf

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projects/RESIDENTIAL

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St Helen’s Street

August 2010 will see completion on phase one of Metropolitan Housing Partnership’s £22 million residential scheme. Set to deliver 40 one- and twobedroom eco-friendly apartments, this phase of the development is the first piece of the puzzle, which will bring new life to St Helen’s Street.

The development aims to deliver a mix of homes for affordable housing and units for private sale. The intention is for a sustainable community to be created just to the north of the city’s historic Cathedral Quarter.

These houses have been delivered in response to the demand for high quality residential space close to the city centre, as Derby does not suffer from the over supply of such space as experienced in other cities.

This project was made possible by the £2 million grant awarded by URC Derby Cityscape and the Homes and Communities Agency. Plans are currently being looked at to develop further ideas for future phases of the scheme.

Above: The Cathedral Quarter has regained its rightful place at the heart of Derby’s offer.

continued overleaf

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Picture a better future Riverside is committed to working in partnership with Derby City Council to deliver high-quality homes and services for local communities in the Midlands.

We are one of the leading housing and regeneration organisations in the UK, providing support and affordable housing to people of all ages and circumstances.

www.riverside.org.uk A charitable Industrial and Provident Society

call 0845 111 0000

projects/FUTURE

Former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary site

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This huge site, totalling almost ten hectares and including neighbouring sites in the Castleward area, is among the largest currently available throughout the Midlands. Its attractive location near the city train station, plus the fact it is under single ownership, suggests that there is likely to be no shortage of interested parties looking to invest, come 2011 when the site becomes available.

Derbyshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will release the site once all major acute services have been transferred to the new Royal Derby Hospital, opened by Her Majesty The Queen in April 2010. This £344 million, PFI-funded development represented the biggest ever investment in the city’s healthcare provision, paving the way for the development of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary (DRI) site.

This is a key site in the heart of Derby’s city centre regeneration plans, expected to come to market within the next two years. With opportunities for leisure, residential and elements of commercial uses, this prime location is certain to draw a great deal of interest.

Everyone involved with the project is eager to see this unique site put to the best possible use, as Mace project manager David Grose explains: “It is one of the biggest sites in the Midlands. We don’t have the usual problems of assembling city centre sites on this project. The location is great as well, and the Trust is very keen to develop the site into something that will leave a positive legacy.

projects/complete

Cathedral Green Derby’s most high profile public space may have been open for around twelve months but it hasn’t stopped securing column inches. The Cathedral Green Footbridge was nominated for the prestigious Prime Minister’s award for Better Public Building, as well as winning the Small Civil Engineering Project Award at the same ceremony.

The £4 million Cathedral Green development, which sits between the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Silk Mill and the cathedral itself, has brought new life to an area previously not living up to its potential, and has repositioned two of Derby’s highlights back at the centre of its offer.

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Jurys Inn

Summer 2009 saw Derby’s hotel portfolio receive a muchneeded boost with the opening of the three-star Jurys Inn. Its 213 bedrooms and business conference facilities have made a real impact on the city despite having been open for less than a year.

The development has brought around 80 new jobs to Derby at a very welcome time, with many going to the longterm unemployed.

Westfield Derby

Derby’s premier shopping centre is now a well-established presence in the city centre after three years of successful trading.

Westfield Derby was voted by Property Week as one of the UK’s top 10 shopping centres.

It has boosted footfall and made significant in-roads into reversing the city’s retail leakage with its 26 million annual customers.

Westfield’s £340 million investment in the city, something cities around the world are desperate to attract, is certainly one of Derby’s regeneration success stories. ◆

football

Game of two halves

Football is significantly more than just a game these days. It is very big business, playing an increasingly important role in regenerating our cities, as Alex Aspinall discovered when he spoke to the man overseeing Derby’s marketing and his American counterpart from General Sports and Entertainment (GSE) now controlling its football club’s fortunes John Forkin director of Marketing Derby:

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“Derby really is a football city and football has an impact on the pride of a city”

“Derby County contributes to the city in two main ways.

One is the perception and image of the city. Football is a global sport and when you meet people abroad they think first of a city’s football club. Secondly, there is the more hard-edged economic regeneration side of things. Derby County is not just a club; it is also a conferencing centre. I think about one million people each year go through the stadium. It brings a lot of money into the economy.

“Derby really is a football city and football has an impact on the pride of a city. They used to say that productivity at Rolls-Royce went up when Derby County won. There is definitely a sense that the city is on the up and if that can be attached to a club on the up then there is an abstract feel good factor. One thing we have been keen to do in recent years is try and connect the development of the city to the development of the club.

“GSE could have invested anywhere but they chose to come to Derby. This investment was international and that makes it different. In the job I do I place this £50 million investment in the same area as Westfield’s £340 million investment or the billion-dollar investment from Citibank into Egg. “When we are selling the city, potential investors look at who else has invested here and an investment like this adds credibility to our pitch. They like to cluster, so this is part of a pattern of international investment coming in to the city. It fits with Derby’s narrative too because a lot of the businesses based in Derby are international businesses.

“Football is going through a tough time, and GSE are bringing a business head into the club, which is part of a sport that does not always engage its business head. The key thing is that the club survives and then thrives. When you promote a city you try to shine a light on what you have that is successful and tell people about it. For us, the football club is part of this.”

“We looked at a large number of teams. But once it became apparent Derby County was going to be available it really stood out” Tom Glick of GSE, president and CEO of Derby County Football Club: “Working in the sports management business, coming into the world’s game and in the biggest leagues in the world, was a professional challenge for our ownership group. That meant coming to England. Once we came to England, it was all about picking the right club and the right city.

“We looked at a large number of teams. But once it became apparent Derby County was going to be available it really stood out. Looking at the club it had a consistent and historical strength of support, it had good facilities and it was not achieving to its full potential. We saw an opportunity to take our skill set and put it to work here.

“Also important was what we saw in the city of Derby; a very well positioned economy, underpinned by Toyota, RollsRoyce, Citibank and Bombardier. We saw something that was stable and focused. It was somewhere we could add value to the football club and where the economy already had good things going for it.

“Since we have been here we’ve seen a very good spirit of collaboration and co-operation between the public and private sectors on advancing the ball and moving things forward.

“We are happy with what we have done so far. We are looking to build a club that can consistently perform at a high level. This means not over-reaching and building a sustainable model, so the club can continue to grow within its means. It is about making the right footballing decisions and it is also about building a bigger, stronger commercial engine, so the club grows in what it produces on its own.

“Football is a business. And this is not a bad thing. The failings we are seeing at the moment are where clubs have not been run like businesses. Businesses are not just about player salaries; they are about customer service and corporate citizenship and effective management of facilities – and recruiting great people.

“Our ownership understands the role we play in the city.

A sports club is a community asset in a number of ways. It is a privilege and responsibility to be involved with it. Derby is a great place. We are really enjoying being part of the club and also part of driving the city forward.” ◆

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Above: The Pride Park home of Derby County FC is a major conference and events centre as well as a football stadium.

A centre of opportunity SPORTS COACH

POLICE OFFICER

COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

GOSSIP COLUMNIST

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• Developing business ready graduates • Providing excellent teaching • A business focussed approach with University of Derby Corporate • An ambassador of Derby • Welcoming to all

www.derby.ac.uk

hi tech

Future forward Just why are high technology businesses attracted to Derby?

Pamela Buxton finds out…

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D

erby’s economy relies considerably on its impressive list of high technology companies. Rolls-Royce, Bombardier and Eurocom all have facilities here, contributing to the 11.8% of Derby’s workforce engaged in this sector – four times the national average.

But like a fire, this workforce has to be stoked.

Derby needs to attract a continual stream of high calibre businesses and employees.

And that’s where the city’s educational establishments have a key role to play, in particular the University of Derby. Not only do they help by bringing students to Derby who may go on to work locally in these businesses, they also provide on the job training for those already working in the sector. And the very existence of the university, which was established in 1992, is a big plus for the city

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hi tech

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The university attracts the very workforce that hi-tech industries need. Derby graduates also contribute by setting up their own businesses in the area and creating jobs

Above: The University of Derby Corporate’s new enterprise centre is currently under construction.

in attracting the very workforce that these industries need. Derby graduates also contribute by setting up their own businesses in the area, thus creating jobs and contributing to the local economy themselves.

“It’s important for the city to have a university.

The university is a very active player in the city,” says Marketing Derby director John Forkin.

According to him, high technology industries are a central part of Derby’s pitch as a city, to draw in potential investors.

These industries can be divided into three main groups: aerospace, nuclear and rail technology. RollsRoyce is the big name in both aerospace and nuclear – employing some 12,000 staff and investing £300 million a year in research and development, but there are also many other smaller local companies in the supply chain. Rail technology companies include suppliers of signalling and train computer technology.

As a result, Derby can claim some of the highest salaries outside London. But in order to help the companies attract and retain the talent, huge improvements to the centre of Derby are underway to make it a place where these hi-tech workers will want to spend time and money. The city’s £2 billion regeneration masterplan is now well advanced and has already yielded the £12 million QUAD arts centre and

£340 million Westfield shopping centre. The university is a prominent presence in the city centre, and has directly contributed to the cultural life of Derby by buying and reviving the previously-closed theatre.

“The theatre is one of the most tangible examples of us wanting to contribute to the cultural life of the city,” says University of Derby marketing director Peter Allen.

“We‘re interested in the knowledge economy as well as manufacturing.”

This cultural and leisure activity all helps to encourage those working in Derby who may live outside the city to spend more of their leisure time, and importantly their disposable income, there rather than elsewhere.

“People earning those salaries could go anywhere to spend their cash and previously they did. Now they come to Derby to do it,” says Forkin.

On another level, the university is helping to provide a skilled workforce suitable for these important industries.

It does this in two major ways. There are currently hundreds of students on courses related to local hi-tech manufacturing including electronic engineering, product design and information technology. The university prides itself on its highly vocational courses, and liaises closely with industry to ensure that these are relevant to future employers.

“There’s no point in teaching a degree that’s not

Opposite and below: Derby offers both entertainment and work experience for students.

The university prides itself on its vocational courses and close ties to local industries

Derby… ◆ has four times the national average percentage of workers in the high tech industries (11.8%) ◆ is one of the top five aerospace centres in the world ◆ attracts the highest average salaries outside London ◆ is the UK’s most central city – 80% of the population lives within two hours travel ◆ hosts 16,000 companies ◆ boasts average annual workplace earnings of £29,895 ◆ has 20% more wealthy achievers than the national average according to a CACI profile of the city ◆ is campaigning to be among the first cities to receive the next generation of broadband links via the LightSpeed Derby initiative

relevant to the job. The University of Derby is all about vocational learning and being prepared for real jobs,” explains Allen. “We create our degree courses by talking to local employers. Many employers say our graduates are more job-ready than other graduates.”

Students are strongly encouraged to go out to industry on placement and put into practice what they’ve been learning in their studies. University placement officer Libby Beck has 66 students of business and computing alone working in paid placement roles, some as far afield as Shanghai. Nearer to home, the university has overseen placements in companies such as Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Eurocom, Citibank, GE Energy Turbine and Roscom. There is considerable competition for each 12-15 month placement, and the job often leads to further work at the company – Beck reckons that 70% of placement students go on to work for the host company in some capacity afterwards.

“It’s a win-win situation for the student and employer,” she says. The placement acts as a year-long interview for the employer and valuable experience for the student.

The other key strand to university-business links is provided by the University of Derby Corporate, the university’s employer engagement division, which offers training. This is in the form of off-the-shelf courses or bespoke training either on-line or in the workplace. Once again, clients include local big players such as Rolls-Royce,

with the university offering consultancy and knowledge transfer as well as training ranging from NVQ up to Masters level.

Local clockmaker Smith of Derby, which has been in business over 150 years, recently worked with the University of Derby Corporate to train staff and tackle two specific challenges. University engineers worked with the manufacturer to redesign a particular aspect of technology and on a separate project, Smith of Derby asked for support devising a marketing strategy to help launch a new product in 2009. Obviously to good effect, “I’ll be using them for a long time to come,” says Bob Betts, managing director of Smith of Derby.

University of Derby Corporate has worked with over 40 companies so far and is soon to get its own premises as part of an £8 million new Business and Enterprise Centre due for completion this year. There’s a similar story of close liaison with local businesses at Derby College, the further education facility, which offers training to young students and support to local businesses.

Training, placements, and vocational education are all clearly intrinsically linked to the city’s business success. Derby is the UK’s leading city for high technology employment and is working hard to make sure it stays that way. ◆

27

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On the right path Wayfinding is about more than just maps and signs. Underpinning the successful regeneration of any urban space, it increases the userexperience offered by the public realm and encourages further inward investment. By Alex Aspinall

B

ristol was the first English city to embark on a wayfinding programme, Bristol Legible City. It was quite a brave move at the time; with few lessons to be learnt from anywhere else, they were entering into the unknown.

But this bravery paid off. Signs, information panels, maps and pieces of public art were all included in the council’s plans to better communicate the city’s geography, its attractions and identity. Implementation of this resulted in the city being significantly more navigable and easier to appreciate. And, as urban regeneration professionals from across the country were eagerly watching Bristol’s progress, it also changed the ways in which planners thought about how people move round and experience urban spaces.

Bristol’s success has spurred several other cities on to wayfinding projects. Any city hoping to give itself the best possible chance to impress, and grow in the future, must offer residents and visitors a pleasurable, hassle-free city centre experience. And Derby is currently in the early stages of delivering exactly this.

Pranali Parikh, urban design manager at Derby Cityscape, explains: “Wayfinding is high on the city’s agenda. The Public Realm strategy is designed to improve the public realm. It is not just about streets and squares but also public open spaces and our public arts strategy.”

The city’s wayfinding masterplan was produced well in advance of any attempt to find a partner able to deliver the city’s vision for better-labelled streets. This was done to ensure every area of the city was given due attention.

Successful wayfinding improvements cannot be achieved overnight. It is important to examine how people use the city, where problems currently exist, and the impact of future regeneration activities on these considerations. The good news is that this has been done, a chosen partner was about to be appointed as Perspective went to press.

Unlike Bristol, Derby has been able to learn from what has and hasn’t worked elsewhere. This has allowed the people working on the strategy to ensure movement between several major locations is given due prominence in

continued overleaf

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wayfinding

30

the plan. The hierarchy of structure types created in the plan highlights the city’s bus and train stations, as well as Sadler Gate and Victoria Street, as being the places to which people most commonly seek access. These locations are given greatest prominence in the plan and, though due attention is given to many other areas of the city centre, these places serve as the main focus for the wayfinding structure.

The train station is perhaps the busiest of these locations. City gateways are recognised as having a vital role to play in visitors’ perceptions of a city – it is their first and last port of call, and their experiences of it may well have a bearing on whether or not they decide to call again. This is a challenge for Derby as the station is halfway through a £50 million refurbishment.

Lying well outside the inner ring road, Derby’s train station is somewhat isolated from the city centre.

Although located fairly close to Pride Park there is little else to attract people to the area. Visitors are currently

Above: Consultation on Derby’s scheme. Below left: Sheffield’s Gold Route linking the city and its regenerated train station. Right: Derby’s station in the future.

greeted with the tricky task of negotiating their way from the station to the city centre, something of a problem, which is why the journey is taking centre stage in Derby’s wayfinding improvements.

Sarah Troman, Derby Cityscape development manager, comments: “We know the station underperforms as a gateway at the moment. It is also confusing for people that don’t know how to get into the city centre because the pedestrian routes aren’t particularly obvious. There are buses that go from the train station to the city centre every three minutes but because they don’t pull into the station forecourt most people don’t know about them.

“The station is one of the city’s key regeneration projects, partly through the Castleward scheme. The area is currently underperforming and feels a bit empty, we want to bring investment into this part of the city, joining it up with the centre.”

Similar efforts have been richly rewarded elsewhere, with Sheffield a pertinent example given its proximity

“The station is one of the city’s key regeneration projects, partly through the Castleward scheme.

The area is currently underperforming and feels a bit empty, we want to bring investment into this part of the city, joining it up with the centre”

to Derby. The Gold Route was created to link Sheffield’s regenerated train station back into the heart of the city.

And, thanks to a carefully crafted series of flowing public spaces, punctuated by stunning public art pieces and well-positioned signage, this was achieved to the extent that even those with no prior knowledge of the city could transport themselves into the city centre with ease.

Derby’s challenge is slightly greater given the distance its own route must cover, but the key to making it work will rely on the same principles that met with success in Sheffield. Castleward, the block of land lying between the city and its station, is the focus of these efforts. The area is part of a significant programme of regeneration work, designed to create a modern urban village, with tree-lined streets and pleasant, open spaces.

One of these, Castleward Boulevard, will create the primary route through which Derby’s urban designers hope to lead people from the train station to the city centre.

The desire is to create a natural line of progression, from

This is going to be more than just a wayfinding programme, it will be a public art project

the train station along Castleward Boulevard and into the centre. Well-considered public spaces and public art pieces will be dotted along the journey from station to city, and those overseeing the project are confident in the improvements round the corner.

Parikh says: “A very special factor with this project is that it is entwined with the city’s public art strategy. We are trying to make sure we don’t just use off the shelf signs, but rather create things with public artists and include them in the design process.

“The structures are unique to Derby and it is going to be more than just a wayfinding programme. It is going to be a public art project as well, creating a distinct identity for the city. We are trying to create a unique, specific solution for Derby. Everything is moving in the right direction, and with the right consultants on board we should be able to deliver on time and meet all our objectives.” ◆

31

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in-depth interview

Man with a plan Derby City Council’s new chief executive talks recession, green shoots and long-term change with Julie Mackintosh

R “Many of our services can only go on so long without investment”

ecessionary pressures, looming public spending cuts and disputes with unions: for those at the top of local government the past 12 months have been among the most challenging in living memory.

Not the best year to be a freshman council chief executive perhaps, but just eight months into his tenure as Derby boss, Adam Wilkinson is taking all of the above in his stride.

“I’ve got a difficult job to do. There are tough financial times ahead but we can’t turn our back on some of the responsibilities we have,” he says. “Issues around highways, housing, leisure stock and social care – many of our services can only go on so long without investment.

I’m thankful there are opportunities within the council to make efficiencies to offset some of the demands we inevitably face.”

An obviously enthusiastic Wilkinson seems to have struck a happy balance between pragmatism (he’s secured agreement for a cut in the council workforce of almost 500 over the next three years, saving £32 million, the “efficiencies” to which he frequently refers) and strategic vision (notably a recently unveiled £100 million stimulus and the decision to bring the functions of regeneration body Derby Cityscape directly under council and his own control).

Wilkinson explains the logic behind the package of initiatives which include £50 million for leisure (a velodrome and Olympic pool to be precise),

33

“If you’ve not been to Derby in the past few years then you’ve not been to Derby” continued overleaf

➥

in-depth interview

“In terms of the wider health agenda... If we were just to stand still and put our current leisure facilities right that would cost us in excess of £30 million. For £50 million we can have regionally significant facilities in locations that will have the greatest impact on regeneration”

34

CV Name: Adam Wilkinson Age: 46 Lives: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire Family: Four daughters aged 11 to 18 Experience: 26 years in local government with regeneration as a focus.

In 2008, Wilkinson set up his own consultancy which allowed him to provide interim director services to the City of York Council. Before that, he was managing director environment and regeneration at Kent County Council and prior to that spent five years as executive director environment and development with Rotherham MBC.

a £40 million construction contract to redevelop and extend the Council House and a £10 million regeneration fund to help stalled projects.

“It’s about generating wider benefits from demands that are already there,” he says. “Look at leisure, for example, its importance in terms of the wider health agenda and at the regeneration needs of the city. If we were just to stand still and put our current leisure facilities right that would cost us in excess of £30 million. For £50 million we can have regionally significant facilities in locations that will have the greatest impact on regeneration.”

The council aims to place these developments in areas currently experiencing high levels of deprivation in the hope of kick-starting much wider social change. There are ambitions to host Olympic events in 2012. The £10 million regeneration fund is different, he says, designed instead to give some capital injection and confidence to projects that are feeling the unavoidable impacts of the downturn.

Like many other cities, Derby’s regeneration plans have been affected by the recession. But Wilkinson points to what’s already been achieved: Westfield Shopping Centre, development of Pride Park, the new bus station and the Roundhouse as “suggesting the art of the possible”.

“There’s 10 years worth of office developments with planning consents, a number of sites have been cleared and we are waiting,” he says. “There will be council led projects over the next couple of years, some more complex than others. For me the most challenging ones will be the most exciting.”

Of the decision to take regeneration directly under council control, Wilkinson says: “The private sector alone cannot achieve our ambitions. The public sector – namely the council – should therefore intervene and provide leadership in these difficult economic times.”

Derby certainly ticks all of the boxes of a successful destination: its central location,

excellent transport links, skills base and access to a large population to name just a few. Office accommodation is also significantly cheaper than in East Midlands rivals Nottingham and Leicester, although supply has thus far been a problem.

But on the back of attracting the big name player Citibank to Derby, Wilkinson’s ambitions are set even further afield. “I think we can attract businesses from the South East and London and absolutely, we are looking to have government departments see Derby as a potential location,” he says.

The chief executive won’t be drawn on whether 2010 will see an end to the recession, commenting: “There are shoots in some places while in others you wonder if you’ve seen the worst of it yet. But I think when you look at Derby, although many of the sectors here are tightening their belts they are not laying off hundreds of staff every other week.

The unemployment rate has gone up but other cities are experiencing more challenging times.”

Wilkinson does believe that Derby still has work to do on an image which he says is still associated with the heavy industries and manufacturing of the 1970s. “If you’ve not been to Derby in the past few years then you’ve not been to Derby,” he says simply. “I don’t think there’s enough awareness out there of what we have to offer. That will be one of the key themes of the regeneration’s next phase – to widen the understanding and appreciation of the city’s potential.”

Personally, he’s enjoyed his first eight months, admitting, “I’d wanted one [chief executive’s post] for a while.” Enough to leave his family 67 miles away in West Yorkshire during the week to concentrate fully on the new job. “I’ve gone through some interesting learning in the past eight months but it has gone to plan, we’re implementing the council’s restructure and have hopefully achieved the impetus for that long-term change agenda.” ◆

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professional services

architects

business advisors

accountants

36

physicians

law firms

professional services

software engineers

property consultants researchers

Good neighbours Derby is famously home to several global companies. David Blackman finds out how the city is also attracting smaller firms offering essential services to support the big players 37

P Nearly one in eight of Derby’s workforce is employed in hi-tech occupations – more than any other UK city.

rofessional services are widely seen as being one of the primary drivers for UK economic growth in the years to come. According to the Treasury, the sector accounts for 8% of UK output, 11.5% of total employment and more than half of the UK’s exports of services.

For a growing city economy therefore, a thriving professional services sector is a key ingredient. However, this was not present in Derby until relatively recently.

“Historically it was felt that Derby was underrepresented for professional services,” says Peter Sterling, a partner at business advisory firm Cooper Parry, which has 240 staff across three offices in the East Midlands.

A few years ago, following the exit of KPMG to Nottingham, the city’s prospects as a professional services hub were looking dim indeed. But now, according to Sterling, the picture is a very different one. He describes the city’s professional community as “strong and viable with good regional players in law and accountancy.”

Cooper Parry, along with leading regional solicitors, Freeth Cartwright, and commercial law specialists, Geldards, are just three of the big firms that have become established in Derby.

Cities need a broad mix of ingredients to attract both professionals and the companies that employ them. Derby’s success in building up its professional services sector is rooted in the strength of its local economy. Recent figures showed that nearly one in eight of the city’s workforce is

employed in hi-tech occupations – more than any other UK city.

The roll call of large companies based in Derby is headed by Rolls-Royce, employing 12,000 people of whom 10,000 are professionals. The city also boasts other major companies like Bombardier, Westfield, Citibank and Toyota.

“We have got big global players,” says Sterling, who notes that Derby has been less affected by the downturn than other areas.

As well as providing a valuable source of work in their own right, big companies act as a magnet for small and medium sized suppliers, which in turn generate their own demand for services like accountancy and law.

Mike Copestake, managing partner of Freeth Cartwright’s Derby office says that the demand for services generated by the local economy encouraged the law firm to set up shop in the city. “The attraction for us is that it’s a wealthy city. There was a lot of leakage of professional work and we came here to grab some of that.” The firm’s gamble has paid off: the number of staff employed at Freeth Cartwright’s Derby office has grown from five, when it was first set up, to 38.

On top of being able to service a strong local base, a professional services company based in Derby can serve a much wider market. It’s central location means that a staggering 80% of the UK population live within two hours continued overleaf

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professional services

38

travelling time of Derby, including London, which is just an hour and a half away by train.

Transport links helped tip the balance in the city’s favour when Swedish bank Handelsbanken was choosing whether to locate there. “Most cities talk about being in a central location, but Derby really is,” says Marketing Derby’s John Forkin. He describes the city as the centre of a ‘diamond’ formed by the regional centres of Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.

This ease of access is helped by the city’s compact nature. “You can get in and out very quickly,” says Copestake. This makes it more feasible to carry out high quality work in Derby, he adds. Freeth Cartwright operates a highly successful mergers and acquisitions business from Derby, for example.

“We came here for a better quality of life without a diminution in the quality of work that we do. By and large we have achieved that,” Copestake says.

Key to this quality of life is the stunning countryside surrounding Derby, which nestles close to the Peak District National Park. For professional people, somewhere pleasant to live and work is important as are good educational facilities. Derby scores well with a selection of good quality schools in both the state and private sectors.

Meanwhile, the city itself is changing rapidly for the better, thanks largely to £1 billion worth of investment delivered in the city over the last five years. As well as the Westfield shopping centre, this regeneration programme has delivered four new hotels and the QUAD arts centre, showing cutting edge cinema. “Culturally, the place has improved enormously,” says Copestake, who is also a fan of the “delightful” bars and restaurants in the Cathedral Quarter, which are good for entertaining clients.

Besides good staff, firms can also secure relatively cheap, good quality space

Beyond its handsome cityscape and in close proximity to Derby, residents enjoy some of England’s most stunning landscape: the Peak District National Park.

While it was hard to attract graduates to Derby 15 years ago, things have changed. People aged between 25 and 34 have been the fastest growing single group of Derby’s population in recent years.

They are doubtless attracted by their ability to get more bang for their buck in terms of apartments and houses than they would in other parts of the UK. The cost of property stands in stark contrast to the level of salaries, which are higher than in any other city outside of London. “The cities alongside us are Oxford and Reading which shows the company that Derby is keeping,” notes Forkin.

And besides good staff, firms can also secure relatively cheap, good quality space.

Average rents for grade A space are £18 per sq ft in Derby city centre compared to £22.75 per sq ft in nearby regional centres, like Sheffield.

Forkin argues that the current economic circumstances mean that professional service firms are less interested in having a swanky headquarters building. “Trophy buildings are out for the time being, efficiency and economy are playing a bigger role. Derby’s offer is a cost effective one,” he says.

And with new developments still coming forward in the city centre, leading local agent Russell Rigby says that the city can offer a good range of accommodation for professional services companies.

“Professional service providers based in Derby who have not relocated recently, have a choice between moving to the edge of the city centre or anchoring on a number of exciting, high-profile developments in the city centre.”

“People are seeing a glimpse of the change which gives real confidence,” says Forkin. Sterling agrees: “There is definitely a feeling that this is somewhere on the move.” ◆

Our Nottingham and Derby offices are heavily involved and committed to creating a dynamic and lively Derby. Utilising our combined experience and knowledge we seek to help deliver the City Council’s 2020 Vision and create a city for all ages.

Our current projects include: t The Blue Corridor Masterplan t Full Street Public Realm Improvement Works t Conservation and Management Strategies for Derby Silk Mill and Darley Abbey Mills t Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Local Transport Plan t Sustainable Urban Extension and Strategic Site Options Study t Strategic Flood Risk Assessment II Blue Corridor t Museum Square Design Vision We are one of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary consultancies with around 350 members of staff employed in the East Midlands covering: t t t t t t t t t t t

Planning Masterplanning Urban and Landscape Design Economics Heritage Flood Risk and Drainage Geo-Technical Engineering Transport Ecology Sustainability Environmental science

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relocation

Relocation, relocation 40

With world-leading brands such as Citibank, Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier all proud to call Derby their home it is little surprise that this compact city is starting to appear on the shortlists for large-scale office relocations. Charlotte Goodworth finds out what the appeal is

Derby City Council has approved a

£10 million

fund to help kick-start regeneration projects across the city

41

rr

M

ore so than ever, companies are looking for cost-effective solutions to survive the tough economic conditions. Relocating part or all of their operations to a less expensive part of the country is becoming a very attractive prospect. Until a few years ago, relocation agents mostly overlooked Derby in favour of the ‘usual suspects’ – Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. However, this East Midlands city is now very much on the radar.

This is due in some part to the work of Marketing

Derby and its successful Embassy events. The Embassy is a tool to raise the city’s profile with a series of events (four a year) in prestigious locations with very good thirdparty private sector endorsement. London-based agents, investors, developers, funds and the media are all invited and more often than not have changed their opinions on Derby by the end of the event.

The recent Derby Embassy, held at the House of Commons in February 2010, is a prime example. It was hosted by MPs and one of the speakers was Bert Pijls, the UK head of Citibank, which owns the Pride Parkbased internet bank Egg. He revealed why his company’s

continued overleaf

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relocation Left and below: Derby has an impressive regeneration programme serving to boost the city’s desirability.

42

consolidation of operations from Manchester and Birmingham into Derby’s Egg headquarters had been so successful.

John Forkin, director of Marketing Derby, believes such support is vital: “People expect the director of Marketing Derby to stand up and say, ‘Come to Derby.’

What they don’t expect is the UK head of Citibank to say, ‘Come to Derby.’ That’s fantastic endorsement.”

The Embassy is essentially ‘a fishing trip’, followed up by plenty of one-to-ones with interested parties, round table events located around the country, as well as private tours of the city. In May, the annual Derby Property Show is held where people can come to the city to find out more.

However, getting the message out there will only draw people to Derby if it is a message worth listening to. Luckily, it is.

“Derby is a great place to live and to work,” says Peter Richardson, ex-chairman of Derby Cityscape and newly appointed Chairman of Derby Renaissance Board. “From an employer’s perspective there is a welleducated and highly skilled workforce. There is good accessibility: St Pancras International is just an hour and a half away and East Midlands Airport is on the doorstep.

Around 80% of the country’s population is within two hours reach and there is significant investment into the roads, rail and a new bus station. Derby offers a fantastic quality of life, with good health and education facilities, culture, retail - including the new Westfield shopping centre - and affordable housing. We also now have, particularly in the city centre, grade A office space available.”

Additionally, Derby’s economy is strong and diverse, hosting 16,000 companies. It is England’s fastest growing city for wealth creation in growth by GVA and is the UK’s leading aerospace city and hi-tech city.

Premium space in Derby city centre is less than

£20 per sq ft

Once companies have fallen for the city’s charms, they can also benefit from Invest in Derby’s relocation service.

A network of experts within the region offers solutions to relocation and expansion issues, including business support services, information on the city and help with recruitment.

In the current economic climate, relocation decisions often come down to little more than costs, but here too Derby’s offer is compelling.

“For anyone who is looking to relocate from London, it’s a no-brainer if they’re just looking at the economics,” says John Forkin. “Premium space in Derby city centre is less than £20 per sq ft. In London you’d be looking at £60-£100 per sq ft.”

And there is plenty of premium space to choose from. In fact, Derby has never been in a better situation to accommodate large-scale relocations or expansions.

The city centre has not had a new office development in more than 15 years, but planning permission has now been granted on 74,000sq m of flexible office space in several prime central locations. These new schemes offer a sustainable working environment with access to a range of services, and will provide the space, facilities and standards required by large public sector organisations and global business headquarters. It is a new dawn for Derby.

The task now is to make sure people are aware of Derby’s redefined city centre office market. David Smith, director of Strata Real Estate Consulting, has been involved with the Derby Embassy and has seen opinions change about the city during the course of a single event: “When companies are thinking about where to put their next 5,000sq m office, Derby hasn’t necessarily been on the map.

But when people realise where Derby is geographically, how the city works and what it can offer, they start to become continued overleaf

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Derby.

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Dramatic changes delivered to Derby’s city centre through the Derby Cityscape Masterplan.

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Over

He says: “There are plenty of amenities within the park.

Everything from excellent local restaurants and other amenities, such as a gym and a creche, have played a big part in a high percentage of our employees relocating to the area.”

£2savings billion through government relocation to Derby

Above: The Derby Embassy event, held at the House of Commons, was a huge success.

much more interested. We’ve got four or five really good office sites in the city centre, all with planning consent. So if a potential occupier comes along, it’s just ready to go at the pull of a lever.”

The 2004 Lyons Report suggested savings of £2 billion by shifting 20,000 government jobs from London and the South East to less expensive areas. Unfortunately, Derby then lacked suitable good quality office space.

Attending the recent Derby Embassy at the House of Commons, Stuart Ladds, head of relocation at the Office for Government Commerce, announced that Derby’s emerging office portfolio appeared to match the new efficiency requirements to be demanded by the government. The 2010 budget confirmed that a further 15,000 Whitehall jobs will leave London in the next five years.

One development that could accommodate them is Friar Gate Square. Lowbridge (Derby) Ltd has received a resolution for planning permission for over 7,000sq m of grade A office space in two buildings around a new central courtyard. As with most of Derby’s office developments, the buildings will aim to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating.

Nigel Kneale, development director of Lowbridge (Derby) Ltd, explains the importance of the project: “We see Friar Gate Square very much as a new public realm for Derby. Friar Gate was always the professional quarter and has suffered in recent years through a lack of new accommodation, which has seen a migration out of the city centre to Pride Park and beyond.”

Case study

45

Dains Dains is a regional firm of accountants and business advisers with offices based across the Midlands.

Up until October 2009, Dains’ proximity to the East Midlands was limited to an office in Burtonon-Trent, but their attendance at one of the Derby Embassy events convinced them to open an office in Derby.

Dains’ new office in The Wyvern Business Park in Derby has already been a huge success, as partner Richard McNeilly explains: “Dains is enjoying the vibrancy that Derby offers and looks forward to developing its business in the years to come.

“Derby has a lot going for it: some large, high profile businesses that provide a solid base locally; an eclectic mix of highly knowledgeable SMEs that are eager to grow; and an intelligent and skilled workforce capable of supporting growth and invention. Put this alongside Derby’s growing retail reputation, a strong professional base and ambitious plans for the city, and Derby really does look like the place to be.”

continued overleaf

➥

relocation

Headline style here

Case study

46

Handelsbanken Swedish bank Handelsbanken has branches across the globe, including over 70 in the UK. In early 2009 a branch was opened in Derby and branch manager, Andrew Tomlinson, explains why: “As Derby has a very diverse economy, with high skill levels and stable markets, it was ideally suited for the bank’s expansion plans in the UK. Having the availability of good quality, new office accommodation at good prices within the professional community was another key driver and will allow further expansion within the city and surrounding area.

“As an international bank transport links are important to us. Derby’s rail, road and air links allow us to operate effectively, not only locally, but internationally.”

The potential of this site was only brought to the developer’s attention by Marketing Derby’s Embassy at MIPIM in Cannes, proving just how successful the city’s campaign is.

“Derby’s proactive attitude towards development and investment certainly was a key driver behind Lowbridge’s decision to invest in a major city centre scheme and continues to instil confidence that further investment in Derby is a good idea,” reveals Kneale.

Another important office scheme that is moving forward is Central Square, a £13.4 million development that will deliver 436sq m of grade A office space in the heart of the city centre. The five-storey landmark building has been granted planning permission and the developer, Bolsterstone, has just started groundworks at the site.

Riverlights has been one of Derby’s recent success stories. Phase one has seen the opening of the new bus station, to be followed in November 2010 by the opening of two hotels – Holiday Inn and Hampton by Hilton – and a Stanley Casino.

The city centre has not had a new office development in more than 15 years, but planning permission has now been granted on

74,000 sq m of flexible office space in several prime central locations

“We’re very proud to be approaching completion of phase one of the Riverlights scheme, which, in association with its immediate neighbour the Westfield shopping centre, has brought a new vibrancy to Derby and redefined the city centre,” says David Osbourne, director of Derby Riverlights.

“In phase two, we can deliver a high-profile, BREEAM excellent office building offering almost 14,000sq m, which potentially could be increased to 27,000sq m. The site promises a potential occupier one of the highest profile positions in Derby, being immediately adjacent to the inner ring road.”

Other office developments with planning permission include: Sadler Square in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, which will deliver 4,200sq m of office space; OneDerby, a £92 million scheme which would be the largest office development in the city; Number One Cathedral Green, a £43 million mixed-use development providing over 8,000sq m of grade A office space on the banks of the River Derwent; and City Gate House, a £14 million development for over 5,000sq m of grade A office space in the Cathedral Quarter.

With planning permission already granted on several of these schemes the developers and their agents are looking to attract a range of businesses. To kick-start some of these projects, Derby City Council approved a £10 million regeneration fund in April 2010.

With the regeneration pushing forward and with so much going for the city, it is easy to see why Derby is becoming a popular location for company relocations, as Kneale points out: “Derby’s got the grade A space, the shopping and leisure facilities, excellent transport infrastructure, an international airport on its doorstep and a highly skilled labour force… what more does an occupier require?” ◆

Perspective partners group Joining together to support Derby

CACI Colette Shields cshields@caci.co.uk Essentail Marketing Solutions Sharon Stevens-Cash sharon@essentialmarketingsolutions.co.uk Freeth Cartwright Mike Taplin mike.taplin@freethcartwright.co.uk Jurys Inn Rachel Strange rachel_strange@jurysinns.com Radleigh Homes Chris Neve chris.neve@radleighgroup.co.uk Rigby & Co Russell Rigby russellrigby@rigbyandco.com

For more information about these companies, visit www.derbyperspective.com/links

case study

Mike Atkinson

Contracts manager at construction company Bowmer & Kirkland

48

From steam trains to training The Roundhouse is the flagship of Derby College’s £43 million regeneration scheme.

Built for the repair of steam locomotives, it’s an important site in the city’s railway heritage.

Julie Mackintosh spoke to three people involved in giving it a renewed purpose for the 21st century

“For years before the redevelopment began, I used to pass the Roundhouse and think ‘someone has to do something with that beautiful building’. Derby as a city was built around railways and this was the last of the old buildings left, as well as being the oldest roundhouse in the world.

It was a really special project to work on. But it was also very challenging: on a scale of difficulty from one to ten, it was at least an eight.

Every time we pulled back a piece of plasterboard we’d find some new unknown. The buildings were in such a state of disrepair, literally falling down – dead pigeons everywhere, lead gone from the gutters, no windows, water ingress and timber beams rotten to such an extent that halfway through the propping process to stabilise them, one beam we hadn’t reached yet actually collapsed.

We knew that to be successful we had to break down the traditional barriers between contractor, client and design team.

The level of teamwork was fantastic. I’ve never worked on a job with so much pride from everyone involved, from the tea boy right to the top.

It was an absolute labour of love and even now when I walk into the Roundhouse I still find it jaw dropping.

I’ve worked on some fantastic buildings in my career and driving through towns and cities my kids will say, ‘you built that, dad.’ But the Roundhouse really stands out for me because it means so much to so many people and to the city of Derby itself.”

“I’ve never

worked on a job with so much pride from everyone involved”

Ian Harris

David Croll

“I was asked to judge the Roundhouse’s suitability as a campus in late 2005. My initial feelings were a mixture of excitement and terror. The potential was so obvious but the state of the buildings was atrocious, they’d basically been left to fall down progressively for two decades. It really was on a knife edge; without intervention the Roundhouse could have been lost within ten years.

Looking at the buildings now it’s tempting to take the Victoriana chocolate box approach. But they were never built to be decorative. The first railway service in the UK ran from Stockton to Derby in 1825. In 1844 parliament passed the ‘penny a mile act’, which opened up rail travel to the general population and by the 1850s all aspects of life had been transformed by the railways.

The chaps working in the Roundhouse were the NASA of their day, arguably more important than that in terms of realising social change. So the last thing we wanted to do was look backwards – these guys weren’t looking backwards, they were changing the world.

We wanted to tap into that energy and capture the pioneering spirit. I think the old and new buildings respond well to each other but they do it maturely, not in a pastiche way.

It was challenging to find form and rationale for the new buildings and the landscape. Sustainability was another issue: how do you insulate a building with solid brick walls? You have to find other ways to be sustainable so we harvested rainwater from the roof and used it to flush toilets and for irrigation. So far we’ve saved four million litres of water. I’m just immensely proud of the results.”

“We worked very closely with the entire development team. Staff at all levels were involved in the design process to ensure the buildings would serve our curriculum needs.

The Roundhouse is wonderful but, at the end of the day, it had to be fit for purpose because we weren’t putting up a monument.

The end result is amazing; the way that both staff and students have adapted has been pure magic. I still pinch myself every day when I arrive. For me, the Roundhouse works. While its past and its heritage have been maintained, its open spaces adapted well to our needs.

The project was very challenging, not least in terms of funding. We had to find £12 million of gap funding from a whole range of sources: the National Lottery Heritage Fund, EU Social Funds, emda and the Learning and Skills Council – and bring the funders together at the right stage.

We could have given up but the effort has definitely been worthwhile. We had completely fixed on this site. It’s the ideal location for the college, directly across from the train station and within easy walking distance of the new bus station.

We frequently receive visits from other colleges and yes, I think they are jealous of what we’ve achieved here. The learning environment is such an important part of the learning process, especially in the 16-18-year old age group of our students. They love the buildings, they raise their self esteem, they make them feel valuable and feel that the college values them.”

Director at architect Maber Associates

“The potential was so obvious but the state of the buildings was atrocious”

Principal and chief executive at Derby College

“The learning environment is such an important part of the learning process.

Our students love the buildings”

49

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energy

Green giants

❤

51

Derby-based companies are leading the industrial green revolution with the production of lower fuel consumption aircraft engines and hybrid cars.

Mark Smulian reports

D

erby’s long manufacturing heritage has always adapted to the demands of the economy. And that, nowadays, means positioning itself well to serve the emerging ‘green’ economy by putting its skills to the use of both emerging industries and the changing needs of old ones.

The city has long been known for engineering: at RollsRoyce, in the rail industry and the Toyota car plant. These sectors remain important to the local economy but, as Mike Copestake, chairman of Marketing Derby explains, the demands of sustainability are changing the ways in which these industries work.

Towns and cities cannot afford to rely solely on

traditional industries as the economy changes around them and, in some places, entire industries have died and been replaced. This has not happened in Derby though, as the city’s historic strengths in engineering have been put to fresh and sustainable uses.

Copestake says, “Derby has been through huge changes in the past 20 years. Then it depended on manufacturing and it still has that manufacturing base. But now Derby’s employment base is hi-tech, with about 12% of the workforce involved in aerospace, rail and nuclear and of course, Rolls-Royce is a key player.

“That 12% figure is four times the national average, higher than any other city in the UK. Derby works at the cutting edge of technology and it is ideally placed to continued overleaf

➥

energy Below: Rolls-Royce is a major employer in Derby and is setting its sights on fuel efficiency.

52

benefit from the green economy. This is a city where the environment is a key economic driver.”

Copestake cites examples such as Rolls-Royce’s decision to expand its Derby-based nuclear industry division into civil nuclear work to take advantage of the government’s commitment to build a new generation of nuclear power stations, with ten potential sites identified.

“Nuclear was not seen as a green energy in the past – it was ‘green’ groups that protested against it – but the need to reduce carbon emissions means it can now be seen as green and Rolls-Royce will diversify to meet that,” he says.

Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear is a newly-established business unit with a remit that includes work related to licensing and safety reviews, engineering design, supply chain management, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of the nuclear island systems and equipments. Rolls-Royce in Derby boasts the UK’s largest nuclear skills base and expects the civil nuclear market to grow from its current £30 billion worldwide to £50 billion within 15 years.

Its Derby manufacturing centre produces a range of pressure vessels and components and the company has

the only UK supply chain for new nuclear components.

Rolls-Royce in Derby is also building the Trent 1000 engine for the new Dreamliner Boeing 787 aircraft. “The engine for the Dreamliner is really cutting edge and there is no other city in Europe that could build it,” Copestake says. The Dreamliner took its first flight at Boeing’s Seattle headquarters in December. Boeing has said the aircraft will be its most fuel-efficient yet.

Announcing the flight, Rolls-Royce stated that it “has a long track record of reducing the environmental impact of its products and developing new low emission products, while maintaining exceptional operating performance. The Trent 1000 is playing a key role in enabling the Dreamliner to reach its environmental targets.”

Toyota is another leading company investing in sustainable development in Derby. The decision to build its eco-friendly, hybrid version of its Auris hatchback at Burnaston safeguards 400 jobs at the plant. The company expects that building the low-carbon cars locally will also make them more affordable. European chief executive for Toyota, Tadashi Arashima, comments, “Such efforts are crucial if we are to see more low-carbon vehicles on European roads. Our decision to produce a full hybrid in the UK reflects both our confidence in the quality and

commitment of the Toyota UK workforce but also the strength of our long-standing partnership with the UK government.”

Copestake believes these investments by major companies have a positive knock-on effect across the city’s economy. “Rolls-Royce and Toyota are leaders but their work means there are huge opportunities in the market, both in the supply chain and to service those industries,” he says. “There are a lot of different capabilities here and the intellectual property used in one application can be applied to others in different sectors.”

Derby’s industries are taking sustainability seriously. So too is the city council, in its aim to create an atmosphere in which the city can prosper without damaging its environment.

The council has its own climate change unit within the regeneration and community service. It has decided this year to lead by example, with its commitment to cut the council’s carbon emissions by 25% by 2013/14 from the 40,725 tonnes recorded in 2008/09.

It is hoped this scheme will also raise awareness among local businesses and residents, encouraging the generation of renewable energy throughout the city. The council will work with local partners and industries to reduce the whole

Rolls-Royce and Toyota create a huge opportunity for the supply chain and service of these industries

city’s per capita carbon emissions significantly by April 2011.

Rolls-Royce is one of these partners working alongside the council with local health services and the university.

This policy is not just fine words from local politicians. The council is again leading by example, supporting an unusual project to generate green energy from its own hydroelectric power station. Unlike the huge installations seen on remote rivers, this one will sit alongside the council’s headquarters at a set of weirs on the River Derwent. Planning permission was granted for the project in February and completion is expected by the middle of 2011.

Councillor Robert Troup, cabinet member for housing and environment, says: “This facility will form a central part of the council’s climate change strategy.

Hydro power, using existing weirs, is one of the most effective and least intrusive forms of renewable energy generation available.

“The hydroelectric generator will supply power to the council headquarters. There were some objections from the Environment Agency over flooding risk, and they were also concerned about measures to allow fish to get through the weir, but those have now been addressed.

“We started to look at hydroelectric power as part of our climate change strategy and felt it offered an excellent opportunity.” The value of the power provided by the hydroelectric station is expected to pay for the cost of the project.

Councillors are also considering a project to provide a combined heat and power plant in the city centre, allowing a group of buildings to be heated from the excess heat that is produced from electricity generation, according to Troup.

Another major sustainable energy project – though still subject to planning permission – is for a waste treatment plant that would generate energy at a site in the Sinfin area.

This is being promoted by Resource Recovery Solutions (RRS), which has a 27-year contract to deal with some 200,000 tonnes of waste a year for both the city council and neighbouring Derbyshire County Council. RRS plans to invest £500 million in a waste treatment facility that will create renewable energy by ‘gassifying’ sufficient material that cannot be recycled to power 14,000 homes.

Unrecyclable material is subject to mechanical biological treatment to produce fuel that can be ‘gassified’ to an energy rich gas, which then generates steam in high efficiency, traditional boilers and this in turn generates the electric power.

From hydroelectric power to energy efficient aircraft engines, from trains and cars to nuclear power, Derby is able to put its decades of engineering skills to new uses to position itself for a new economy in which sustainability and ‘greenness’ will be the watchwords. ◆

53

the back page

Made in Derby

54

No stranger to world firsts – already laying claim to the highest, most remote and largest inclined clocks – famous clockmaker Smith of Derby is now working on the world’s largest clock, which will take pride of place in the Harmony Tower in the city of Ganzhou, South East China.

The four record-breaking 12.8m diameter dials will be installed within the building’s clock tower. Driven by a unique mechanical movement the clock will feature an innovative third hand charting the Chinese lunar chapters.

Clockmakers since 1856, Smith of Derby will use the latest technology alongside energy efficient long lasting materials, such as stainless steel faces, carbon fibre hands and toughened steel gears. The clock will also feature ruby-tipped pallet faces to increase efficiency and reduce friction – establishing another first, the world’s first public mechanical clock with a jewelled bearing movement. The timepiece will be automatically wound, with a bell striking hourly and an additional bell to mark sunrise.

The Harmony Tower, which houses the clock, will contain a café, a rotating restaurant, commercial offices and a specially commissioned Time Gallery – also to be

W

created by Smith of Derby – detailing the complex story of timekeeping and how nations across the world contributed different skills, ideas and pieces of excellence.

Smith of Derby was selected for the project by the Ganzhou Expressway Company following a trade mission to China, according to the company’s president Liu: “Smith of Derby’s professionalism, flexibility and work are world class.”

The design brief for this project was to create ‘the world’s most exquisite traditional clock’ as the centrepiece of a new business, residential and recreational park. Bob Betts, Smith of Derby managing director, comments: “As specialists in this field, this is a dream opportunity because of the client’s vision – to build and create an expression of time. It is fantastic to win such a prestigious project. This scheme will be unique, not only for the clock’s size, but also for more emotive reasons.

“With the passion for time demonstrated in China, we know it is imperative that we deliver an integrated piece of engineering – educational in function, yet magnificent, elegant and beautiful. We have a wonderful opportunity to use our unique experience, combining advanced technology with traditional weight driven mechanics.”

From top: Smith of Derby’s managing director Bob Betts, a timepiece from Smith of Derby, the Harmony Tower of Ganzhou, South East China.

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