Magistrates' court revamp to start this year

“Cafes, walkways etc, etc, all of which were first planned in the 1962 redevelopment of this area along the River Derwent, when they also proposed the demolition of the Market Hall and most of the Corn Market and replace it with "continental style plazas and street cafes, with a raised road way over Victoria Street and a monorail from the Spot to the Market Place. Like I said, 1960s thinking us still with us.

Thankfully the Grade 2 listed Court House will now serve the public needs, I hope the new Local Studies Library will include a cafe and public toilets.

The importance of protecting listed buildings cannot be overstated, they are a living record of our past, the sum total of what makes us who we are, our DNA, memory and history.

Here is a BBC programme that shows how we have come to appreciate our heritage and how forward thinking people have brought about the preservation of what is important to our history and heritage.
http://tinyurl.com/c6azvpy”

“I am not all for concrete buildings, but this area of Derby with the river could be made to look wonderfull with cafes bars shops and a nice lit up walkway.
I would love to see a bit of imagination for that part of the centre.”

“Spondon makes a valid point, too many of Derby's listed treasures have been lost due to the lack of respect to our heritage. One of the original plans was to relocate the. 18th century Assembly Rooms next to the Magistrates Court, which is one of Derby's finest Art Deco buildings and presents one of the finest Art Deco interiors in the United Kingdom. The Assembly Rooms facade was re-erected by Derby Corporation at Crich in 1976 and unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester in the presence of the Mayor of Derby. Although I do agree with Spondon's sentiments, I am afraid such a move is highly unlikely.

I am afraid though that Derby still has some outdated dinosaur relics of thec1960s who would rather our listed buildings were demolished and replaced with more 1960s styled concrete, glass and steel clad monstrocities like Westfield. Thankfully the 1960s police station is to go and the old court buildings will make a fine Local Studies Library that will complement the award winning, refurbished Council House.”

“Horrible blood# building pull it down and the old police station, landscape it till a developer comes along with a decent plan to build something. Good money to bad yet again.
Regeneration my Ar#e.”

“I could be quite a feature to incorporate the facade of the former Assmbly Rooms now erected at at Crich into any scheme of development planned in the city centre. It surely would be a relatively simple and ecconomical opperation to transport it back to where it belongs. Far too frequently we simply destroy or sell our heritage now is a chance to reverse the process.”