£150m Nightingale Quarter scheme gets underway

The first ground has been broken at Derby’s new £150 million Nightingale Quarter development half a decade after the site was flattened.

Wavensmere Homes is now set to deliver 800 new homes on the site of the old Derbyshire Royal Infirmary five years after it was demolished.

M. Lambe Construction recently won the contract to carry out the works at the 18-acre site.

The development is expected to take five years to complete and will include cycle routes, an open air gym and fitness area, children’s play areas and planting.

The Infirmary’s iconic pepper pot buildings will be retained for community use, with residents having access to numerous facilities including a café, gym, exhibition space and meeting rooms.

James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “We are incredibly proud that work has begun on the site and we are able to show residents and businesses surrounding the site that we have been able to follow through on our promise to start the process in developing the land, which has stood as a brownfield site for so many years.

“Appointing haart as the estate agents and the contact for prospective buyers last year, and then M. Lambe Construction as the groundworkers has been two milestone contracts to secure, especially as they are now both based in Derby – and has also meant that hundreds of jobs have been created in the area for these plans to become a reality and support the local economy.”

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, added: “The Nightingale Quarter is a key asset in the centre of Derby. Cleared city sites of this size are rare. Seeing work commence shows the ambitions of the city to create a new urban village and fits with the masterplan to deliver 1,900 new homes.

“Wavensmere have a successful track record with similar schemes in the West Midlands. Their investment in The Nightingale Quarter is a long-term commitment to Derby and will provide a desirable place to live in the city.”