Residents, the business community, and members of the public can view plans for the development of the exciting new 3,500 capacity entertainment and events venue at Becketwell Derby at an online consultation event.
St James Securities, the developers behind the £200m Becketwell regeneration scheme, are consulting on their plans for the new performance venue, which is being built on the site of the former Laurie House offices and NCP multi-storey car park in Derby.
Once complete, the venue is expected to host over 200 cultural and commercial events each year, attracting an additional 250,000 visitors to Derby, creating over 200 new local jobs and generating more than £10m per year for the area.
The virtual exhibition, which runs from Monday 14 June – Friday 25 June 2021, gives people the opportunity to find out more about the ambitious scheme, view the latest plans in detail and download information about the venue. There will also be an opportunity to give feedback on the scheme.
A virtual presentation and Q&A session is planned for Tuesday 22 June, 6.30-7.30pm for St James Securities and the project team to address questions raised through responses to the exhibition. Anyone wishing to register should email becketwell@quod.com.
The entertainment venue
Located at the heart of the wider mixed-use Becketwell development, the purpose-built venue will be a fully flexible, scalable space capable of staging concerts, stand-up comedy, family shows, musical theatre, conferences, and exhibitions.
Capable of holding up to 3,500 people for standing events and 600-2,500 seated, the venue will host a busy concert and entertainment programme and attract a wide range of business events.
The new performance venue will be forward funded and owned by Derby City Council and run by world class operator ASM Global, the world’s leading producer of entertainment, sports, and exhibition experiences around the world.
Derby City Council have assisted with land assembly for the development and St James Securities will deliver the performance venue to the Council with ASM Global to sign a 30-year lease.
Progress
Commenting on the consultation event, Oliver Quarmby, managing director of St James Securities, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to share our ambitious plans for Derby’s new performance venue with residents, businesses and the public over the next couple of weeks.
“This ambitious project is set to significantly increase Derby’s cultural attraction and the overall profile of the city, and bring an outstanding, modern performance venue to Derby.
“We would encourage neighbours and businesses to visit the virtual exhibition where they can view the proposals in detail. Their feedback will help us shape our planning application and ensure the performance venue delivers the maximum possible benefits to the people of Derby.”
Subject to planning consent being granted, work on the performance venue is set to commence in early 2022, with handover to the operator in 2024.
Construction work has commenced on phase one of the Becketwell scheme, which comprises of 259 one and two-bedroom apartments which will be built on the site of the former Debenhams store on Victoria Street, and a new public square, with completion by Spring 2023.