It’s nearly December, the poppies are down, we survived the great floods of 2019 with excellent filling of the holes in our new flood defences by NMCN (due to be watertight/complete in December!) and we’re gearing up for a festive Chester Green with the Chester Green Window Trail, the Camp Street Illuminations, and the Chester Green Tree Lights……word on the street is that it might be on both sides of the Green this year……!
Below are the newsletters (Novembers too, as I forgot to put it online last month!) and the Chester Green XMas Window Trail map and competition form. These will be posted to everyone soon, but you saw it here first. Do share to non-Chester Greenies so they can take part too! Ho Ho Ho!
The Residents’ Association has it’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 10th September at 7.30pm in the Centurian Walk Common Room on Old Chester Road. Do come along and hear both what we have to say, and air your own views on all things Chester Green/Little Chester.
There’s a Family Quiz Night at the Community Centre on the 14th September, which are always great fun, with rounds for all ages and abilities!
There’s also the latest updates from the flood defense works from Our City Our River (OCOR) including more details on the refurbishment of the Cricket Pavilion and the sports provision at Darley Fields 🙂
We’ve had a number of people reporting issues/crimes to us, and not to the police, recently! Even if you think the police may be too busy to respond to your issue/view, please do contact them anyway. We can’t report things 2nd hand, and the more information the Police have, the more likely they’ll commit resources to an area if needed and/or react quicker. It’s really easy to report things, these days, so:
if you see a crime in progress, report it to 999.
However, if you want to report something else (that doesn’t require an emergency response) you can:
Here’s next month’s newsletter (early, I know…..get me!) First, the bad news….the council have turned down the GNC Vehicle Car Heritage and Skills proposal for the historic Union Foundry building. If, like us, you disagree (due to the many points we’ve raised before), do sign and share this petition
Extremely sad and disappointing news that Derby Council have blocked the regeneration of the Aida Factory in its current state (The GNC Car Heritage project would have kept this locally listed buiding…..the council’s current plans knock it down…..and yes…..it was the regeneration dept. that were involved in blocking this regeneration!) . This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the site, and Little Chester/Chester Green.
From Shaun Matthews at the Great Northern Classics Car Heritage project. We wish Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire well with this excellent venture that they will now benefit from 🙁
“Union Foundry (Aida) Little Chester – Heritage Vehicle and Skills Centre
Dear All
It is with great sadness that I have to report that we have arrived at the end of the road. Although we still await formal confirmation from Derby City Council, it appears we will not establish our Heritage Vehicle and Skills Centre at the Union Foundry in Chester Green unless there is an early and unexpected change of heart. We have pressed as hard as we can but minds now seem set and for the sake of the higher aims of the GNC project now is the time to draw a line under Derby.
Our proposal was enthusiastically received across the council and the wider community but was apparently stymied by a bureaucratic wormhole resulting from the source of the funds the council used to purchase the site. To overcome this we have proposed ways to design a mixed-use development (60+ homes plus our project), were prepared to fully reimburse DCC their purchase price (effectively making the flood wall land nil cost) and even offered the Council a substantial stake in our operation. Unfortunately, despite many of the officers and elected members agreeing the GNC project was the best outcome, the Council didn’t navigate around this funding issue, instead choosing to press on with housing in spite of the technical difficulties, heritage implications and local resident’s concerns. I genuinely, for the sake of the Little Chester residents wish DCC success in this endeavour.
You may recall that we started our journey nearly 2 years ago hoping to occupy the Bonded Warehouse at Friargate Goods Yard but it wasn’t feasible to bridge the funding chasm to restore. There are no other appropriate buildings in the City and therefore the Union Foundry was the only viable site for us. Consequently, with this now unavailable I can no longer see how we can open in Derby – This means that this magnificent building will be demolished bar it’s façade, we cannot look forward to the regeneration and economic benefits, save the skills or offer the opportunities to local artisans and training to the city’s youngsters. Simply we cant do that very good thing.
So, with a heavy heart, our search for a home has now moved to other East Midlands Cities. I hope that some of you can continue to be involved wherever we settle, to those who can’t or won’t make the move, I am very sorry and for your support and considerable effort I thank you on behalf of all of us at GNC, it’s been an absolute pleasure.
Watch this space!
Yours Sincerely
Shaun Matthews”
The most frustrating thing about this is that the council don’t even have any firm plans for the building. They did draw up plans for family homes (social housing), which we informed them wouldn’t be suitable as there were ground floor (and some ground floor only) dwellings. They also hadn’t put in safe egress to higher ground, which is now needed when proposing houses on a flood plain in close proximity to the flood wall…… so, after much expense, they finally listened to us and got advice from other depts. (can’t believe they didn’t do this in the first place) and scrapped the lot…..because clearly they’re rolling in cash.
Now we’re told the new plans being drawn up aren’t designing in safe egress to higher ground either (we’ve been told it will be added, retrospectively, after the plans have been drawn up by our own staff). Oh, and the council will have to self insure the buildings because insurance companies won’t insure new builds on a flood plain (as they’re not covered by the governments flood re scheme https://www.floodre.co.uk/ ), and they want to build 100% social housing, which we have lots of in Chester Green already…….
Did we also mention that two large development companies, in the past, couldn’t overcome these problems either with major objections from the environment agency, among others regarding the points made above (similar to the objections made recently about the planned conversion of the Waterside Inn up the river into flats by both the environment agency and the councils own planning dept.)……now you know why the council got the site below the going price for residential land…..because it isn’t land suitable for residential use….
So, they turned down a well formulated and presented plan, which keeps the locally listed building in a conservation area for something closer to its intended use (and doesn’t demolish it, like the residential plans will need to), adds to the local economy, trains people in a skilled profession and would sit very well between the Silk Mill museum and the world heritage site up the river, for something that is poorly thought out and could quite easily never come to fruition……. slow clap for Derby Council’s ‘regeneration’ department…….
Below is this month’s Newsletter, which will be winging it’s way to you very soon. All the usual news and information, but there is also a new, potential option for the redevelopment of the Aida factory on City Road. We’ve now got permission to share the promo video, so do please have a look. Comments welcome!
The community centre will have a family Quiz night on Friday 5th April, which is always a good night. The last quiz was very popular, so do come along. Children welcome, and rounds for all ages!
Also, do save the date for Chester Green Event Teams 2nd annual fashion show (all proceeds going to this year’s Picnic on the Green event)! It was a great event last year, and will be on Friday 3rd May, 2019
Well, it’s the month of Christmas, so here’s everything that’s going on in Chester Green over the festive period! I’ve also attached the November newsletter, as I forgot last month!
We’ve got the excellent XMas window trail, where over 50 windows are taking part. Spot the XMas pudding to be put into a draw to win a prize draw.
There’s the Christingle service on Sunday 2nd December at 4pm (St Paul’s) and the excellent Carol service (with live brass band….not to be missed!) on 16th December at 7pm.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church also have a Carol Service on 14th December at 6.30pm.
Below is this month’s newsletter….and what an exciting month October is going to be!
6th October, there’s a circus skills workshop at the Community Centre with the awesome Chango Fuego (https://www.changofuego.com/) This is not to be missed and will be great fun for all ages!
There’s also a quiz night on the 12th, and the now infamous Halloween Disco on 27th.
Sunday October 7th is your last chance to visit the Little Chester Heritage Centre (open 2pm – 4pm at St. Paul’s Church). If you’ve never been, do pop in and have a look! It’ll be closed after this until April!
The big news this month is that the Council are planning on developing the former Aida Bliss factory site themselves. Their current plan is to develop predominately Council/Social Housing on the site with none, or very view, available for private sale….. (we’ve had an introductory meeting with Ian Fullagar, Head of Strategic Housing for Derby City Council and Chris Morgan, Principal Regeneration Manager). However, they are about to start ‘consultation’ with local residents and groups. Plenty are currently airing their views on the Facebook page….do come in and get involved (or leave comments on this website)! We’re currently in discussions with the council regarding how the official consultation will be carried out, and also exactly what their plans will be….so watch this space! More details when we have them. https://www.facebook.com/LittleChesterResidentsAssociation/
I seem to be posting these in pairs, now! Below are the August and September Newsletters. You’ll have already received August’s, and September’s is on it’s way! Do have a look! Comments always welcome!
I’m afraid I’ve taken my eye off the ball, somewhat, and forgotten to upload the last two newsletters! My apologies. You will have all received the printed copies some time ago, but here are the electronic versions!
Sorry these are a bit late, but the March and April LCRA newsletters are below! This month, there’s exciting news about a community orchard, the latest on the flood defences, puppets(!), the History Group talks, a fantastic Fashion Show (beginning of May!) and more!