Marketing Derby is backing plans for an outdoor artisan food and drink market in the heart of the city. Plans for The Yard Derby, on a plot of land in St Peter’s Churchyard, have been turned down by Derby City Council planning committee twice already.
However developer Burton Abbey Developments hopes a revised application will be successful. The revised plans include changes to the market’s size and layout and Marketing Derby said they have received strong backing from the local business community.
In the letter supporting the proposal, John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “Burton Abbey Developments’ proposal to create an artisan food and drink market delivers substantial benefits for an area of the city that is challenged both economically and socially.
“It fits with the ambition of Derby City Council in regenerating underused parts of the city and to diversify the daytime and night-time economies.”
The new proposal for The Yard Derby involves creating 10 retail units – two fewer than before –arranged in an ‘L-shape’ along the southern and western edges of the site, away from the Grade II*-listed St. Peter’s Church and the Grade II*-listed Old Grammar School.
The plans also incorporate a seating area with a capacity for up to 100 people.
One key aspect of the proposal and location involves an entrance to the new market through the historic 19th-century wall bordering the site.
According to Derby City Council, this wall is not listed but is a valuable element within an area where Grade Listed structures are present.
As a result, it should be treated with the same level of care as the Grade Listed structures in that vicinity.
In their updated application, Burton Abbey Developments argue there is room for discussion regarding the wall’s “heritage significance” in the city and are asking for its partial demolition.
Marketing Derby’s letter of support states: “This particular piece of land sits on a significant pedestrian thoroughfare for visitors to the new 3,500 capacity performance venue on the regenerated Becketwell site from areas such as Derbion, the bus station and the Market Hall.
“The owner seeks to enhance and make reparations to the boundary wall and therefore improve the overall aesthetic from its current dilapidated condition.
“While there is an appreciation of the historical significance of the site, the proposed improvements serve to enhance and promote the important heritage. This is proven by the encouraging endorsement of local heritage specialists.”
