About Derby

Derby is an English city on the banks of the River Derwent in Derbyshire. The Derby Silk Mill museum of industry lies in the Derwent Valley. West of the river are the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, home to Joseph Wright paintings, and Gothic Derby Cathedral. Southeast along the river, Derby County Football Club plays at the iPro Stadium. In the northwest, Markeaton Park offers a craft village and a boating lake. Derby has moved on from its impressive history to embrace the future too. With the opening of a world class shopping centre, Intu Derby, and being host to some of the largest global manufacturing companies, there is a lot to look forward to in this city. 

Local Highlights

Dovedale is a renowned beauty spot with stunning scenery and many walks. A dramatic limestone ravine, busy with wildlife and rare wild flowers Impressive rock outcrops, tranquil woodlands and of course the much-loved stepping stones which cross the River Dove.

Discover the stately Hardwick Hall ruins, the birthplace of Bess of Hardwick, one of the richest and most remarkable women of Elizabethan England. During a trip to the site, run by English Heritage, you can ascend through four floors to enjoy spectacular views over the Derbyshire countryside and Hardwick New Hall.

Calke Abbey tells the story of the dramatic decline of a country house estate complete with peeling paintwork and overgrown courtyards. The house and stables feature many abandoned areas, vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when many country houses did not survive to tell their story. There are plenty of things to do, including walks around the nature reserve and fun family activities in Squirt's Stable.

Chaddesden Park is an important focal point in the local community for formal and informal recreation. It is a quality green open space and has been presented with several Green Flag Awards over the years. The park covers 24 hectares and offers an extensive range of sports and recreational facilities set within a mature and attractive parkland landscape. It dates back to the 18th century and once formed part of the estate of Chaddesden Hall (now demolished). The original Yew and Cedar trees still remain to mark the location of the hall

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There is a lot to do on the park, including visiting the popular park café, children’s play and water play areas, the newly refurbished BMX track, King George V football fields, a multi-use games area, the friends group pavilion, Chaddesden Bowls Club, Chaddesden Library and much more.

Business in Derby

A new report from manufacturers’ organisation Make UK and accountants and business advisers BDO LLP has said that manufacturing remains central to the success of the East Midlands. According to the report, manufacturing accounts for 16% of the region’s economy, which is well above the national average of 10%.

Derby is the location of choice for some well known manufacturing companies, which demonstrates strong long term employment strength in the region, which in turn drives the demand for modern housing. Below are some globally recognised companies who are large scale operators in Derby:

Rolls Royce Group

Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd

Eco-Bat Technologies Ltd

Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd

Motorpoint Group PLC

Pentagon Motor Holdings Ltd

Investment into the City

In the last decade, Derby has seen billions of pounds in investment, thousands of jobs created and huge regeneration successes.

The Derby City Centre Masterplan 2030 sets out a strategic context for investment opportunities in the city in the next 15 years (2015-2030), demonstrating the Council’s commitment to the regeneration of the city centre. By 2030, this masterplan aims to leverage £3.5 billion in investment, create 4,000 new jobs and deliver 1,900 new homes.

The masterplan has been conceptualised by the business community in partnership with Derby City Council. Business and investment partners include Vibrant City Partnership, a sub-group of Derby Renaissance Board, which has a wide-ranging membership including key organisations and businesses in the city centre.

The masterplan aims to achieve ten key ambitions to ensure the continued regeneration of the city centre into a vibrant place as a City of Choice, a Business City, a Living City and a Connected City.

The East Midlands will be awarded one of eight new Freeports in England, creating an estimated 60,000 new skilled jobs for the region. Based around the East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster (EMAGIC) in North West Leicestershire, Uniper’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station site in Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP) in South Derbyshire, the Freeport will bring significant investment to develop and drive innovation, alternative energy sources and green technology supporting SME’s and large regional employers, including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, and Alstom (formerly Bombardier).