Recapturing a lost style and heritage 'will restore Derby's heart'
Over £1m is likely to be spent replacing out-of-date 1960s and 70s shop fronts and the council has earmarked more than 40 for a historic renaissance. Work has already been carried out on some.
The scheme will run over the next two-and-a-half years and the money will come from a group of bodies, including English Heritage, Derby City Council, and central Government money to improve communities.
They are offering 80% of the costs of restoring frontages in a similar style to their original Victorian or Edwardian look. But landlords of premises only opt for the makeover voluntarily.
Restored shops will have solid timber window frames, marble plinths, wooden mouldings and brass door furniture such as handles, plates and letter boxes.
The plan for 24 Iron Gate includes curved glass windows.
Aside from looking more attractive than modern aluminium, the solid timber frontages are unlikely to need replacing for the next 150 years.
The City Centre Grant Scheme is offering to cover the costs of frontage upgrades up to £25,000.
To unlock that amount, shop owners would have to contribute only £5,000.
It is hoped this incentive will transform the city centre, making it more attractive to both shoppers and high-quality retail businesses looking to open up.
Harry Hopkinson is built environment team leader at Derby City council and is managing the scheme.
He said: "If we get it right it will put the heart back into the city and make people want to come here and invest.
"It's commonly recognised heritage is an important part of the city and is a major driver for economic regeneration.
"It represents good value for businesses, retailers and the council."
Similar projects have already had a significant impact on the city centre in recent years.
Launched in 2002, the Townscape Heritage Initiative resulted in improvements to premises now occupied by Varsity Bar in Friar Gate, the Cathedral Centre in Queen Street and Bar Lisi in Sadler Gate.
Under Townscape, premises in The Strand occupied by fashion store Scenario, bridalwear specialist Brides & Gowns and lingerie store Can Can have had work carried out to ensure that shops match the elegant architectural style of the buildings they occupy.
The Strand Café is likely to be the next facade in the historic street to be refurbished.
A key figure in having improvements made in The Strand is Trevor Raybould, a chartered surveyor working on behalf of a number of Derby property owners.
He said: "I'm a big fan of these grants which give us the chance to create, dare I say it, a mini York or Harrogate right here in Derby."
According to Mr Raybould, there are over 150 listed buildings in the Cathedral Quarter and The Lanes and most of the streets fall within a conservation area.
He said: "Derby is blessed with outstanding heritage and the timing of the release of the grants couldn't be better.
"Westfield has raised the bar in terms of shop presentation and the Cathedral Quarter could be a perfect foil to the modern shops in Westfield.
"These grants are proportionally very high compared to previous schemes, giving shop keepers and landlords in the city an opportunity to upgrade their shops to meet customers heightened expectations."
Within the next couple of days, hoardings will come off the facade of Anderson Electrical in The Strand, giving the public a taster of how Derby's shop fronts could be reborn.
Managing director Guy Anderson said: "It has been disruptive while work has been going on and customers have not been able to find the shop. That said, I didn't take much persuading to have the work done because the shop was not particularly good looking."
Specialist stonemasons and joiners have been employed to restore original details.
Mr Anderson added: "It is going to look fantastic and hopefully more people will come to this end of town because it will offer something different to Westfield."
Derby architect Matthew Montague worked on the designs for the new Anderson Electrical frontage and the adjoining properties.
He is also working on finalising designs for 12 shop fronts in The Wardwick for which planning permission is likely to be submitted within a couple of weeks.
He said: "Several of the properties in The Wardwick are unsightly and the work being undertaken is going to make a massive difference.
"One problem has been getting photographic evidence of exactly how the facades originally looked."
Mr Montague has been working closely with William Ling, a chartered accountant who either owns or manages on behalf of clients the majority of the 12 shop premises in The Wardwick block between Curzon Street and Becket Street.
He has welcomed the opportunity to beautify The Wardwick, where accountancy firm Lings has operated since 1918.
He said: "With the benefit of hindsight, I regret the removal of the Victorian shop fronts in the late 60s and early 70s but it was what everyone wanted and conservation was unheard of.
"This is a golden opportunity to start making this area of Derby look attractive and the costs involved for landlords makes it good value for money."
Mr Hopkinson is enthusiastic about the potential for The Wardwick.
He says if all goes well, believes that work could take place next spring.
He said: "Reinstating the elegance that was there would do an awful lot for the centre of Derby.
"If we can attract property owners to spend a little bit of money then it will be a success."
And there's the rub because the scheme's success relies on voluntary participation from landlords and tenants.
Tenants may have limited interest in having their business premises knocked about while they are trying to earn a living in difficult times.
Likewise, landlords may be unwilling to take advantage of the scheme while they have rent coming in or might not have the cash or inclination to invest when tenants are thin on the ground.
Compared to the £340m Westfield spent on extending the shopping centre, the City Centre Grant Scheme might seem small beans.
However, at a cost of little more than £1m, Mr Hopkinson believes the scheme is an unmissable opportunity for the city to recapture some of its lost style and offer the heritage that Westfield cannot.
He said: "This represents good value for landlords, good value for businesses and good value for the council."
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