Six East Midlands projects targeted for housing and regeneration boost

Six major housing and regeneration schemes across the East Midlands have been identified as immediate priorities in a regional drive to unlock development and support economic growth.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) and Homes England are working with councils and other partners to tackle barriers around land, planning, infrastructure and funding at sites in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The programme forms part of Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward’s ambition to support the delivery of more than 100,000 new homes over the next decade, alongside creating better-connected places for people to live, work and invest.

The six priority areas are Buxton, Derby city centre and the Station Quarter, Infinity Garden Village and the South Derbyshire Growth Zone, Chesterfield town centre and Spire Neighbourhood, Nottingham city centre including Broad Marsh, and Fairham.

Support is being coordinated through a Strategic Place Partnership between EMCCA and Homes England, with the focus on major developments where intervention could help unlock progress.

Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands said: “Across the East Midlands, we need more good-quality homes and better places where people can live, work and invest. We have an ambition to support more than 100,000 new homes over the next decade, but we know that bringing forward major sites is not always straightforward. Planning, land, infrastructure and funding can all hold schemes back.

“That is why this partnership with Homes England and councils across the region matters. We are focusing our efforts on the places where we can help remove those barriers and get projects moving.

“These six priority areas show the scale and variety of the opportunity in front of us – from town and city centre regeneration to major new communities. With the powers and investment that come with devolution, we have a real opportunity to create more places that people are proud to call home.”

In Buxton, work is looking at options for redeveloping the former Springs Shopping Centre, with High Peak Borough Council and its chosen development partner exploring potential funding routes.

In Derby, EMCCA is working with Derby City Council, Network Rail and Platform 4 on plans for Derby Station and the surrounding public realm. City centre sites have also attracted early interest in Brownfield Housing Fund support.

Further south, partners are looking to accelerate development at Infinity Garden Village and across the South Derbyshire Growth Zone. Enabling infrastructure is being progressed, with construction currently expected to begin in spring 2027.

Chesterfield is another focus, with the borough council seeking a development partner for Spire Neighbourhood and holding early discussions with prospective developers. An expression of interest has also been submitted for Brownfield Housing Fund support for Chesterfield Waterside.

In Nottingham, Homes England, Nottingham City Council and EMCCA have agreed a partnership to progress the former Broad Marsh shopping centre site. Homes England has acquired the site, while EMCCA is funding asbestos removal and demolition work. Early discussions with the market have also generated interest from potential development partners.

Fairham, the sustainable urban extension south of Nottingham, is also included. The 13,000-home scheme is being delivered by Homes England and partner landowners, with outline consent already in place for 3,000 homes alongside new facilities and green space. Much of the main highway infrastructure is complete, plans have been submitted for a primary school due to open in 2028, and the business park is around half complete, supporting more than 1,200 jobs.

The six schemes have been selected for their potential to make significant progress, but they form part of a much wider pipeline of housing and regeneration projects across the region.

EMCCA and Homes England will continue working with councils, developers and other partners to overcome delivery barriers and bring forward further housing, regeneration and investment.