Latest News | 28 January 2021
Investment at Infinity Park Derby moves closer
Plans for two major new developments on Infinity Park Derby look set to move a step closer.
An early submission has been made to Derby City Council, ahead of formal planning applications, for two new buildings at the site, one of which would be occupied by the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and the University of Derby’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering.
The other is a 185,000 sq ft facility, dubbed ‘Project Ivory’, which would be used for manufacturing purposes.
A designated Enterprise Zone, Infinity Park Derby is a 100-acre greenfield site to the south of the city, adjacent to the global civil aerospace headquarters of Rolls-Royce.
Rachel North, deputy chief executive at Derby City Council and chair of the Infinity Park Steering Group, said: “We’re very excited by the proposed developments and to be working with Pegasus Group on delivering these two facilities and the flood prevention element.
“We’re committed to continuing to grow Infinity Park into a real national hub of technology business, attracting jobs and people to the city.”
Pegasus Group, on behalf of Infinity Park Derby LLP, is the company that has submitted the scoping opinion requests for the two buildings.
Its documents show that the Project Ivory building would be 12 metres in height and sited to the south of the existing iHub, an £11.8 million managed workspace and business incubator, operated by Connect Derby.
The Nuclear AMRC building, which would offer 48,000 sq ft of space, would be sited further south, down Infinity Park Way, towards Chellaston.
Details of a large flood prevention lagoon, which would be sited to the west of the iHub, along with other flood prevention infrastructure, has also been submitted.
According to the submission, the Nuclear AMRC building would be a “world-class” manufacturing and research facility.
Last year, the £15 million development took an important step forward after Derby City Council approved plans to deliver the new facility with its partners Nuclear AMRC, the University of Derby and IPD LLP.
Creating up to 70 high value jobs, it will be operated by Nuclear AMRC, part of the Government’s national High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which helps companies develop new techniques and processes to win work in the nuclear sector.
According to the city council, the facility is expected to add £52 million to the Derby economy across a five-year period, supporting SMEs in the area to grow by creating opportunities for research and development.
In its submission, Pegasus Group said that construction of that building, along with the Project Ivory structure and the flood prevention scheme, would take 12 to 14 months.
It said work could start as soon as this summer if applications are submitted and approved in time.
This would see the schemes completed by summer or autumn 2022, it added.
John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “It is very encouraging to see this early submission put forward to the city council, ahead of formal planning applications.
“Infinity Park Derby was among 17 major investment projects showcased at the recent Midlands UK Forum for Growth, all of which will be key to helping the city and county build back better and stronger.”
