Figure 16 Renovated Derby Cathedral

3.2 Derby Cathedral, Quarter

3.2.1 History

Derby’s Cathedral Quarter scooped two national accolades in the year 2016, a fitting reward for 10 years of working in collaboration (Historic England, 2017).During that time, the conservation area has benefited from improvements to shop fronts and historic buildings, designation as a Business Improvement District (BID) and ongoing branding and marketing program for shoppers and businesses. Agarwal, Busby and Huang (2018), report similar findings, whereby, they observe that Derby Cathedral is surrounded by a wide assortment of shops, pubs, restaurants and other attraction sites. However, in 2007, the Cathedral experienced significant decline after businesses collapsed, leases on properties were pulled down and rental values dropped as whole streets were in a localized recession (Mould, 2015). The phenomenon would be intensified further by competition from a nearby new indoor shopping centre, which opened in the same year.

T0 regenerate the cathedral, a Townscape heritage initiative had been launched in 2001. This was later followed by a similar activity in 2009, whereby, the conservation area of Derby’s city centre was incorporated into the risk register in the city (Historic England, 2017). A second such project, which is also sponsored by the heritage lottery fund and city council, is now regenerating the city centre’s south side (Agarwal, Busby and Huang, 2018). In 2007, traders formed a Business improvements district (managed by BID consultants Partnership for Better Business Ltd) across the city centre in the northwest quadrant to make the ‘Cathedral Quarter’ their own destination. Local businesses saw that they would leverage their unique selling point if they clubbed together to celebrate their heritage (Mould, 2015).

Figure 16Renovated Derby Cathedral(Historic England, 2017)

3.2.2 Harnessing the value of heritage

Agarwal, Busby and Huang (2018) observe that the success of the Cathedral Quarter is attributed to its value as a conservation area as numerous local businesses have spiralled and the historic character of the cathedral buildings been recognized as a prize-winning heritage site. In turn, this has increased interest in collaborating in renovating existent built-heritage at a regional level. Mould (2015) also adds that the Heritage lottery fund (HLF) has contributed funding to the Derby Museums Trust in order to continue regenerating the nearby Silk Mill in order to benefit the area further. The author adds that at the completion of the Silk Mill regeneration project, the project will be transformed into Derby’s Making Museum and serve as the Southern gateway to the world heritage site of Derwent Valley Mills, drawing 120, 000 new visitors and an estimated annual economic impact of 4.2 million Pounds.

The combined effect of BID, City Council Historic England and Heritage Lottery Fund conservation area status and initiatives has been to build a virtuous circle of change. As the heritage’s economic value was recognized and harnessed, and public funding primed the regeneration pump, confidence returned, releasing ongoing investment and a value uplift from which the city as whole is now reaping dividends (Agarwal, Busby and Huang, 2018).