Demoltion hold-up on Assembly Rooms hits Market Place scheme

Why is the Assembly Rooms still here when the city was told it would be demolished by the end of 2025? ZENA HAWLEY finds out more

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IN June, the leader of Derby City Council Councillor Nadine Peatfield said she wanted to see the demolition of the Assembly Rooms begin by the end of 2025.

The fact it hasn't happened - and originally it was meant to start in autumn 2024 puts a serious question mark over plans for the Market Place and the amount of time that will pass before any replacement building will be constructed.

The Assembly Rooms originally closed following a fire in the plant room of the adjacent car park in March 2014 and has remained closed ever since.

Permission was originally given to demolish the almost 50-year-old Brutalist-style building in 2021, but according to the condition imposed on the planning application, it cannot be demolished until a replacement scheme has been given planning permission.

It is understood that in order to get the condition discharged, city planning officials are submitting an "outline planning application plus" by providing a scheme for the whole of the Market Place site all three elements, including cultural hub, hotel and offices, although Mrs Peatfield has said in a statement that it is a full planning application.

Outline or full, the planning application needs to be enough to discharge the condition, and who will decide that the city's planning control committee or council officers is not known.