£8M DREAM

A new area of bars and boutiques looks set to be created in Derby city centre in an £8m project. For five years, Clowes Development has been buying up properties between Sadler Gate and St James' Street as part of a scheme to create a shopping and leisure development in a hidden land pocket. The Brailsford-based company wants to create a thoroughfare from the alley at the entrance to Vines Wine Bar, in Sadler Gate, to the archway leading to the back of Knights nightclub, in St James' Street.

Clowes unveiled detailed plans for the scheme in an application for planning permission, submitted to Derby City Council. For director Andrew Bock, who believes the scheme will regenerate the historical quarter, it was a major step towards fulfilling a 12-year dream. He said, "Derby is crying out for something like this. Not everybody wants indoor shopping complexes like the Eagle Centre." The proposed development, which would have a European-style piazza as its centrepiece, includes four shops, two restaurants and a bar.

Three entrances to the piazza are planned - one in the Strand, another from St James' Street and a third from Sadler Gate. Mr Bock said, "We want to create an area which rivals Nottingham's Bridlesmith Gate for shopping, and its canalside for nightlife. "The plan is to attract independent retailers rather than chain stores - delicatessens, hairdressers, coffee shops and clothing boutiques." The application includes a scheme to create nine luxury two-bedroomed flats over what is now Bagshaws Residential, in the Strand.

And there are plans to build a further nine two-bedroomed apartments over Hall and Partners estate agency in St James' Street at a later date. Knights nightclub, which was bought by Clowes on Monday, could also be incorporated into the scheme eventually. Roger Bailey, co-owner of Vines Wine Bar, said, "They have taken a city centre area that is falling down and they are going to rejuvenate it. That has got to be a good thing."

Councillor Margaret Redfern, chairman of the city council's licensing committee, said she was keen to see new bars aimed at more mature clients. She said, "I would like to see somewhere people in their 40s and older can go and enjoy a quiet meal and a drink." Councillors are likely to consider the proposals in September. If they grant permission, work on the first phase could start within six to nine months.