£1m of landscaped public space unveiled at residential scheme

A housebuilder has unveiled £1 million of landscaped public space at one of its residential developments in Derby.

Wavensmere Homes has created a fully equipped children’s play area, outdoor gymnasium and a fallow deer sculpture as the final phase of its £175 million Nightingale Quarter development concludes.

The life-size bronze deer by British wildlife sculptor Hamish Mackie was presented to the people of Derby as a gift from Wavensmere, following a tour of Derby Museums’ Museum of Making with Elizabeth Fothergill, CBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire.

James Dickens, managing director at Wavensmere Homes, said: “The Museum of Making has a fascinating section about the city’s origins.

“The name ‘Derby’ is believed to have Anglo-Saxon origins, deriving from the Old Norse word ‘djúr’ meaning deer, and the Old English word ‘býr’ denoting a settlement or village.

“Derby likely means deer settlement or village where deer roam.

“Learning this on a visit to the museum with Liz Fothergill, it felt fitting to commemorate the conclusion of Nightingale Quarter’s six-year construction programme with a gift to the city and its people.

“Hamish Mackie is one of the country’s most prominent wildlife sculptors, so to have his work as the centrepiece of the development is special.”

Wavensmere’s 18.5-acre development also benefits from a running track around the circumference, residents’ gym, spacious co-working facility, landscaped boulevard and a community allotment, which was created in conjunction with Down to Earth Derby, people living at Nightingale Quarter and local school children.

The redevelopment of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary has delivered 925 new homes, including 125 houses, and eight apartment buildings containing a total of 800 homes.

The restoration of two ‘pepperpot’ buildings – which were the surviving relics from the 19th Century Florence Nightingale-designed hospital – gives the development prominence along London Road, across from the entrance to the Derbion shopping centre.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, leader of Derby City Council, said: “Seeing the Nightingale Quarter build complete is a significant milestone in the regeneration of Derby city centre.

“The outstanding outside amenity space that Wavensmere Homes has delivered provides something for all ages.”

The final phase of Nightingale Quarter is the five-storey Walton House building.

It comprises 103 one- and two-bedroom apartments for rent, which will be ready for residents to move into this month.