News
£2 million award for city living design competition in Derby
15/07/2005
Derby Cityscape, the Urban Regeneration Company spearheading the regeneration of Derby city centre with a target of attracting more than £1 billion investment, has launched a unique competition for a winning affordable housing scheme which is backed by a £2m grant from The Housing Corporation.
Applications are invited from affordable housing providers, including housing associations and private developers, to develop a mixed tenure city living scheme in line with Derby Cityscape's design criteria for creating a more inspiring urban environment. Applicants will also have to be able to deliver through the Housing Corporation's approved mechanisms.
Competition packs are available from the Derby Cityscape website: www.derbycityscape.com and the deadline for expressions of interest is August 5, 2005.
Short listed applicants will then be invited to work up a scheme in detail by November 2005 with the winner being announced at the end of the year.
Derby Cityscape Chief Executive John Cadwallader explained: "City living plays an important role in the overall Masterplan for Derby city centre and it is important that we develop a range of sustainable communities which are affordable and attractive to all sorts of new and existing city residents.
"We have made a commitment that 30% of the 5,500 new homes due to be built in Derby city centre over the next 20 years should be affordable and we are delighted to be working in partnership with the Housing Corporation to ensure these homes will be of the highest quality.
"The provision of affordable housing will ensure that local people from all walks of life will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to live in the heart of Derby's increasingly vibrant city centre.
"I am particularly pleased that high quality design is at the top of the agenda for this competition as it reaffirms our commitment to design-led regeneration. Design should always be a major priority for housing development whether it is in the private or social housing sectors.
Charles Amies, Head of Investment - East Midlands Region at the Housing Corporation, added:
"In order to complement the launch of the Derby Cityscape Masterplan, the Housing Corporation and Derby Cityscape, working in conjunction with its partners - Derby City Council, English Partnerships and emda - are launching a competition to bring forward an affordable led housing scheme that incorporates the highest quality of design.
"This will serve to underpin the role that high quality design will play in boosting investor confidence in Derby's housing market.
Derby Cityscape is a limited company supported by private and public organisations, including Derby City Council, East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and English Partnerships (EP).
For further information, Tel; Derby Cityscape, 01332 204194;
www.derbycityscape.com
For further information and full competition rules please download a copy of the competition document.
(Adobe Acrobat file 660 Kb) Click here to download
More reasons...