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Council leader Councillor Nadine Peatfield says she is 'thrilled' that plans to redevelop Derby's Market Place have been passed and says it’s 'impossible to overstate just how momentous this milestone is for our city'.

A meeting of the city's planning control committee has voted to approve a £100 million outline planning application for Derby's Market Place, which will involve the 50-year-old Assembly Rooms building being demolished and three buildings take its place - a community hub, office block and hotel.

Mrs Peatfield said: "This will allow us to move forwards with the transformation of the site.

"We’ve been listening closely to our residents and stakeholders. We know you want us to crack on, that is exactly what we are going to do.

"Getting this green light is a massive achievement for everyone involved, and I’d like to thank members of the planning control committee for their diligence and support.

"Together, let’s get this done and continue building a Derby to be proud of."

The city council says that the committee’s approval of the plans is a "major milestone" in the project, allowing the council to now submit an application to remove the planning conditions attached to the demolition of the former Assembly Rooms.

The council will also formally enter into a contract with Ion Developments, who will bring forward the regeneration of the whole site.

Plans for the site have been developed over the past few years, in consultation with residents, local organisations and key stakeholders, and include Derby MADE – a multi-use building on the site of the former Assembly Rooms, featuring a music venue, cultural / exhibition space, a young person and family library, and dedicated flexible working and meeting areas.

The transformation plan also features proposals for Derby HOTEL, a full-service, four-star hotel, and Derby WORKS, new high-quality Grade A office space.

Once the planning conditions associated with the demolition of the Assembly Rooms have been removed, Ion Developments will begin preparing the site for demolition.

This will include disconnecting utilities and creating a secure and safe working environment and will take number of weeks.

Demolition consent for the Assembly Rooms was granted in March 2024. Work to demolish the site is expected to take around 12 months. Once this is complete, work on the new buildings will begin.

Addressing the planning conditions, a spokesperson for the council said: "We will need to satisfy the planning conditions associated with the demolition consent which was granted in March 2024.

"We intend to submit an application to discharge the demolition conditions within the coming weeks, this will be presented to the council's planning control committee. Demolition will not begin until the conditions are discharged."