Less than a year remains before Derby PRIDE City Challenge closes, and during this time the PRIDE Park site will complete the final stages of its five year development programme.
The 180 acre site has really put Derby on the map, and Derby’s construction and business sector will receive a further boost during July when Her Majesty the Queen officially visits PRIDE Park. Neil Bradbury, Chief Executive of Derby PRIDE comments, "Obviously we are delighted that the Queen has chosen to visit PRIDE Park. Her visit clearly shows that PRIDE Park a major asset for the city and a pioneering example of urban regeneration."

Since the main road that crosses the site opened in January, inquiries for land have risen dramatically. Plans have already been approved for the new 30,000 sq ft Millennium Business Centre, which will occupy a plot of land opposite the new Derby County Football Stadium, and a deal to develop the remaining listed buildings on site including the 1830's Roundhouse, into a £13m hotel and leisure complex is expected to be agreed shortly. Additionally, a car showroom complex, a new leisure centre and the relocation of two local, manufacturing companies are also in the pipeline.

PRIDE Park is one of few construction sites in the country which is not building on precious ‘green belt’ fields but is utilising previously derelict and polluted land. The land has had to be reclaimed and this lengthy process will be completed at the end of the year when PRIDE Park’s Water Treatment Plant becomes operational. The treatment plant will purify the polluted water contained on site before discharging it into the nearby river Derwent.

As more businesses move onto PRIDE Park, safety and security becomes more and more important. With this in mind, Derby PRIDE recently commissioned a feasibility study looking at the installation of Close Circuit TV coverage on site. The £3,600 study recommends that up to 30 cameras should be sited along the main roads and at the exits and entrances to the park.
Other cameras will provide security for the buildings and car parks on site. Gethyn Davies, Construction Operations Manger explains, "Security and safety is very important, both for the businesses on site and for visitors. We are doing all we can to ensure that the first stage of CCTV coverage will be in place before the end of City Challenge, early next year."

As anyone who has recently visited PRIDE Park will have noticed that the new Derby County Football Stadium is nearing completion. The official opening is set for July, and construction work is now underway to build car parks and secondary roads to meet the demands of a 30,000 capacity football crowd. The new road (from Roundabout 2) will be completed to coincide with the opening of the stadium.