New investments can help address our city’s inequalities

In his address to this year’s London Embassy, Councillor Baggy Shanker, leader of Derby City Council, explained how he wanted to see new investments ‘unleash’ the untapped talent that exists in the city.

Speaking at the Embassy, Councillor Shanker began by sharing Derby’s recent success at the prestigious EG Awards, regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the property and investment sector.

The partnership behind the Derby City Lab, which included Marketing Derby, Derby City Council, the University of Derby, Lathams and Clowes Developments, won the Public/Private Partnership of the Year Awards – beating off the likes of Liverpool, Manchester and London.

At the same awards, Derby narrowly missed out on the City of the Year title – but Councillor Shanker said that the city would be back in 2025 with an even stronger entry.

He told the Embassy: “The reason I say 2025 is because that year we will see the fruition of so much hard work in repurposing our city centre, making it fit for the needs of the 21st century.  And I’m calling this now ‘Derby’s Olympic year’.”

Councillor Shanker detailed all the major schemes that are due to come online in 2025, including the brand-new 3,500-capacity performance venue at Becketwell, which is currently being constructed by Bowmer + Kirkland.

2025 will also see the reopening of the city’s Market Hall following a £35 million refurbishment, which will become a hub for makers, traders, creatives and more.

And 2025 will also see the completion of the Nightingale Quarter residential scheme, created on the site of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, and the University of Derby’s £70 million new Business School.

And as a result of the AUKUS nuclear submarines deal, Rolls-Royce will be doubling the size of its Raynesway site, creating thousands of new jobs.

Councillor Shanker also talked about the significance of the arrival of Great British Railways to Derby.

Councillor Shanker told the Embassy: “I really want to use these investments and others to tackle, once and for all, the major challenges that we see in our city of poor social mobility and the unacceptable inequalities that exist. The life chances need to be there for the generations to come.

“Here, in this historic library, it feels absolutely appropriate as we recognise the importance of learning and achieving.

“I myself am a product of opportunity – and I really want to see and make sure that opportunity is there and available for the community, unleashing the untapped talent that we have in our city.”