Derby Royal Mail sorting offices could be demolished under major redevelopment plans

Derby’s Royal Mail sorting offices could be demolished “in the longer term” to make way for hundreds of new homes. A report into a major regeneration scheme for the city’s train station details potential big changes in the pipeline at Midland Road – where the company’s main Derby offices are located.

The 152-page Derby City Council report says there are plans to build hundreds of new homes in the Midland Road and London Road area.

It also gives details on how it wants to transform areas surrounding the railway station – creating new office space and modernising the entrance to the station, making it a more welcoming gateway. But plans are currently at a very early stage as a business case will have to be developed before anything turns to reality.

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One of the proposals being mooted is to put hundreds of new homes on Midland Road. The council says demolishing the Royal Mail offices, in the long term, would be “desirable” to achieve this.

It says the current building is “large, utilitarian, and at odds with the other buildings on the street which generally are of a more domestic scale”. The Royal Mail offices play a vital role in Derby as it is where mail and parcels are sorted and organised for delivery.

The report says: “The Royal Mail sorting office is unlikely to relocate in the short/medium term, but in the longer-term, demolition and redevelopment would be desirable.

“As an opportunity site, the redevelopment of this building should be residential led, with consideration given to active ground floor commercial uses fronting Midland Road, provided these do not undermine the viability and vitality of existing commercial uses at Midland Road and the city centre. “

There are plans in the pipeline to make the most of nearby Midland House which is currently vacant. The council says the building – sold in 2023 for £2.8 million – is open to “sensitive refurbishment (which) could potentially provide a high-quality headquarters office building or “converted into residential use”.

The report adds: “Other than those units fronting Midland Road, or the section of London Road which is north of the junction to Oxford Street, there will be a presumption against new commercial units elsewhere.

“Any development within the Royal Mail rear service yard which sits adjacent to Midland House should have regard to the height of the adjacent Midland House.”

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A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We will continue to engage with the council as their regeneration proposals develop.”

There are also plans to redevelop a care facility at nearby London Road “subject to this being relocated”. St Andrew’s House offers several healthcare services including mental health, drug and alcohol support and a learning disabilities service.

The report adds: “In the case of St Andrew’s House, the relocation of the rehabilitation centre would require careful consideration, but subject to this being relocated, residential redevelopment would be supported.”

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