St Peters Quarter Celebrate Regeneration Project Completion
St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) is organising a day of street entertainment at the newly-refurbished St Peter’s Cross and elsewhere in the area on Saturday (September 13), to celebrate the completion of work to create a much needed performance space.
The £1 million development at the junction of St Peter’s Churchyard, East Street and St Peter’s Street has been transformed by Derby City Council, in partnership with the BID.
St Peter’s Cross creates an ideal performance space for entertainment and its new seating and ambient lighting provides a space for visitors to St Peters Quarter to relax. The St Peter’s Church has been cleaned and new lighting is to be installed to enhance its architecture.
Businesses in St Peters Quarter have been keenly awaiting the completion of works and the BID has brought together a wide range of local and regional performers to entertain visitors and officially launch St Peter’s Cross as a performance space.
In addition, some of the acts will be performing in other areas of St Peters Quarter – the RAM, outside HSBC and at River Lights.
Acts performing across the area between 11am and 3pm will include Brazilian inspired martial arts entertainers Cordao de Ouro Capoeira, belly dance troup Arjana Dance, singer/songwriter Josh Kemp, six piece band Karl and the Marx Brothers and Groove 66 who play a range of music from the Sixties to the present day.
Stephen Jeffery, chair of St Peters Quarter Board, which drives through activities under the area’s Business Improvement District status, said: “The completion of work is a real cause for celebration in this area.
“We have been working closely with Derby City Council to bring St Peter’s Cross to the top of the regeneration agenda and are delighted with the results.
“The regeneration work will bring a renewed vibrancy to the area and create a focal point that will be much a much more attractive area for visitors to enjoy.
“As a BID we have been organising street entertainment on Saturdays and more recently Monday lunchtimes to encourage more people into the area and animate the streets. St Peter’s Cross will be an important part of this programme moving forward.
“The entertainment on Saturday therefore heralds an added impetus to our street entertainment programme and will whet the appetite of visitors who will also be able to enjoy additional entertainment in St Peters Quarter as part of Derby Festé later this month and the popular Derby Folk Festival in October.”
Local businesses added their delight at the official launch. Gill Barling, manager of Reams Arts and Crafts supplies in St Peter’s Churchyard continued: “We recently relocated the shop further towards St Peter’s Cross so that we could benefit from the additional footfall that this work will hopefully bring.
“It is great that this area, which has sadly been neglected for many years, is finally seeing some investment and we hope that it will encourage more people back into this area.”
Cathryn Saxe, manager at Costa Coffee on the corner of St Peter’s Street and East Street added: “The area looks so much better and is now a wonderful place to sit and relax. We are really looking forward to the entertainment programme this Saturday and then the Derby Festé programme at the end of the month.”
And Caroline Cadman from nearby Bon Marché women’s wear store concluded: “The work has really modernised the area and created a much needed space for entertainment and relaxation in the busy St Peters Quarter. Hopefully this will encourage many more people into the area.”
Cllr Martin Rawson, Cabinet Member for Environment, Planning and Regeneration and Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, said: “Investing in the development of this important area right in the heart of Derbyis vital to continue to attract people to ourbusiest shopping street.
“At a time of significant economic challenges it is more important than ever to ensure that we continue to attract inward investment to support jobs inDerby.
“The work carried out at St Peters Cross will add to the overall regeneration work by the City Council and the BID to create an environment to be proud of and reinforce the city’s fantastic shopping experience.”
Information about all the businesses in St Peters Quarter is available at www.stpetersquarter.co.uk facebook stpetersquarter and twitter @SPQDerby