The 20-acre site, which was previously home to the Derby Royal Infirmary Hospital, is to be turned into a mega site, which will consist of both commercial and residential properties. The site has been vacant since May 2009, when the redeveloped Royal Derby Hospital moved to its new location.
The mega site will consist of a Morrisons supermarket with 350 car parking spaces, which has already been approved. Lee Outhwaite, Director of Finance and Information at Derby Hospitals said, “The choice of Morrisons was a strategic one. Unlike other supermarket operators, it is chiefly a grocery business and concentrates on selling food and doesn’t have significant other lines, such as clothing or electronics.” Plans for the area also include 300,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and approximately 450 new homes.
Before any plans are confirmed, the developers would like to gather as much input and feedback from local residents to find out what they want in their local area, as Derrick Conway, Assistant Estates Director of Derby Hospitals NHS Trust, said, “We would like to encourage local residents and businesses to come and look at the revised proposals and have their say on the proposals, which we believe will transform the appearance of this part of the city.”
The £4 million redevelopment work on the new Morrisons store has already begun and is due to be completed by October this year. James Brook, Development Executive at Morrisons expressed, “We operate at the heart of many communities and we are looking forward to helping to regenerate this site by bringing our range of fresh food, excellent service and great value to the city of Derby.”
As well as bringing new businesses and houses to the area, some services at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary site will remain and will be integrated in the plans. These include the blood clinic, physiotherapy, the sexual diseases clinic and the amputee rehab centre.
