University announces £14m revamp

The University of Derby is to spend £14m on improving its city centre campus over the next two years.

A new £8m business and enterprise centre will be built on the Jackson's Mill site on Bridge Street.

A further £6m will be spent on refurbishing the Britannia Mill site on Mackworth Road.

The news follows an announcement in July that the university would be spending £13.5m on improving the three towers at the Kedleston Road site.

'Minimum disruption'

The Jackson's Mill site formerly housed the university's textiles and fashion courses but plans for the new business centre include conference facilities, training suites and offices.

Formal plans will be submitted to the city council later this month, with work hoped to be completed by April 2010.

At Britannia Mill, which is home to the School of Social Care and Therapeutic Practice, windows will be replaced and a new roof and boiler fitted in the first phase of work.

A second phase will see a glazed extension built, beginning in September 2009.

Ian Willgoose, university director of estates, said: "I would be grateful if our neighbours could bear with any disturbances during these changes.

"We will do our utmost to keep these to a minimum and the end result...will be to have useful and much more attractive buildings in their midst.