Restoration works at Wavensmere Homes’ 11.5-acre (4.96Ha) Friar Gate Goods Yard in Derby city centre have already passed the £20m milestone, since work commenced in October 2024. Having lain derelict since 1967, the nationally significant £80m mixed-use project is reanimating two landmark Grade II listed buildings into over 110,000 sq ft of commercial space, alongside 276 new build homes.
A new spine road has been created through the site and the final phase of site-wide roads and sewers infrastructure works are currently being carried out. Construction is at various stages for the new terraces of two- and three-bedroom houses, with the superstructure works underway on ‘Terrace 1’. The enabling works for the vast 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House have included sandblasting and restoring over 100 original structural steels by Wavensmere’s specialist contractor.
The first 63 terraced houses will be available for occupation in Q2 2026. The full redevelopment, restoration and construction programme is anticipated to complete by the end of 2028.
James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “Regeneration projects as complex as this require considerable up front investment. We will have spent well over £30m on site works at Friar Gate Goods Yard before the first homes are ready to move into next summer. This is in addition to the money we spent purchasing the land and throughout the extensive design and planning process.
“Having lain derelict for well over 50 years, there was never any doubt that the redevelopment of Friar Gate Goods Yard was going to be a labour of love. Many developers had looked at the viability of this project and passed on it, due to the financial undertaking and complexities of the restoration of the listed buildings.
“As you approach Derby city centre, Friar Gate is a huge historic landmark and we are excited to see the ripple effect our investment could bring about in the wider area. The fine attention to detail and our emphasis on quality placemaking will see this site become a nationally important trophy asset in Derby’s ongoing renaissance. Welcoming the first residents into their new homes will be a major milestone.”
The painstaking restoration of the 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House will deliver a total of 111,275 sq ft of flexible offices, health and fitness space, a restaurant/café, together with a regional sales centre for Birmingham-headquartered Wavensmere Homes. Extensive new areas of open space, including pocket parks will also be created, in addition to the retention of the TPO tree buffer, to enhance the biodiversity of the site.
The elevated area adjacent to Friar Gate Bridge will become a new multi-purpose public realm and community space, with retention of some of the original railway arch facades. New vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access are being created at various points around the site, from Uttoxeter New Road, Great Northern Way, and Friar Gate, with the Mick Mack cycling route also to be extended.
The first opportunity for members of the public to reserve one of the 227 houses at Friar Gate will be in Q1 2026, together with extensive commercial opportunities. Interested parties can register their details via Wavensmere Homes’ website.
The designs for the two- and three-bedroom townhouses are bespoke. Curved and terraced street scenes honour the beauty and vista of the Bonded Warehouse, while incorporating a range of energy saving technologies and strategies. A four-storey apartment building containing 49 apartments will also reinstate the lost streetscape of the Stafford Street frontage. The specification of the homes is a fully-fitted turnkey package, with market leading ESG credentials. Each EPC A-rated house, will benefit from an air source heat pump, alongside solar PV panels and an EV charging port.
The site sits just outside the Friar Gate Conservation Area, which features notable Georgian townhouses with high-quality brickwork and fine architectural detailing. The Friar Gate Goods Yard was intended as the main goods depot for the Great Northern Railway line, to handle coal, livestock, timber, and metals. Designed in 1870, and entering operation in 1878, the Bonded Warehouse building contained extensive warehouse space and offices. It was used as a store for the American Army in WWII to house ammunition and other supplies.
The Engine House was also built for the Railway by Kirk & Randall of Sleaford. It is Italianate in style and built from Welsh slate. The Engine House supplied power to the hydraulic lifts and capstans at the Bonded Warehouse. The site first became derelict in 1967, and overtime became overgrown and fell into a poor state of repair. An arson attack took place at the Goods Yard in 2020, which exposed the whole inner iron structure of the two historic buildings.
Derby’s array of city centre amenities and attractions are within a five-to-10-minute walk of the site, with Derby Train Station being 1.5 miles away. Several bus routes are located along the boundary roads to the site on Friar Gate and Uttoxeter New Road.
The Goods Yard redevelopment will promote sustainable development through the use of low carbon materials, modern methods of construction, and renewable energy generation.
To view the plans for Friar Gate Goods Yard, visit: www.friargatederby.com