New twist over giant 17-storey apartment tower in Derby

How 'The Landmark' apartment block will look. Image by GMI/Godwin Developments/Derby City Council.

New concerns have been raised over the construction of a 17-storey apartment tower in Derby which for years has been shrouded in uncertainty.

Derby City Council approved planning permission for “The Landmark” to be built off Phoenix Street, which would comprise 202 apartments.

However, no construction has taken place on site since the plans were approved in 2020.

The development, which aimed to “reinvigorate the city centre”, has been met with twists and turns since it was first submitted eight years ago.

Planning permission took two years to be granted after concerns were raised by Historic England and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), due to its proximity to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

Back then the apartment tower was destined to be one of, if not, Derby’s tallest buildings. However, a 19-storey apartment block has recently been approved next to the Derbion shopping centre.

In 2023 the council approved an application to amend certain conditions attached to the granted permission for the 17-storey tower.

But the plans came under fresh uncertainty last year when it was reported the applicant behind the Phoenix Street plans called in receivers to find an alternative owner for the site – therefore putting it under the market with planning permission in place.

Now, it has emerged Derby City Council has written to the applicant’s agent citing new concerns about the development.

This comes after the applicant – referred to as “Singh” in documents – wrote to council chiefs with more detail on the plans with the aim of completing and removing a number of conditions attached to the planning permission.

These included sending the council details of windows and doors types and in building materials used “in the interests of visual amenity and the character of the area”.

But the council has addressed concerns over the detail sent over by the developer.

Planning chief Paul Clarke has stated in a decision notice that the submitted materials schedule “is of insufficient detail to discharge the condition”.

Mr Clarke explains the detail provided “does not include physical product samples or real-world examples, but instead relies on CGI [Computer Generated Imagery] which is not an appropriate or reliable method of assessing materials”.

He added that details of the windows and doors “does not provide sufficient technical detail” and there were “strong concerns about the apparent
chunkiness and visual prominence of the window frames”.

Godwin Developments, who initiated the proposals, said the building would bring many benefits to Derby.

The firm said:  “The Landmark, as one of the new high-quality residential developments in Derby, will play an important part in reinvigorating the city centre, make a significant contribution to housing targets and deliver economic benefits arising from increased footfall, jobs, revenue and investment to the city.”