Derby Nottingham Metro Strategy

Nottingham City Council has secured European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) for blue green infrastructure provision at 13 sites across Derby City and Nottingham City. Of the 13 sites, two schemes account for the majority of the allocated ERDF:

• The River Leen at Bobbers Mill, from Wilkinson Street to the A610 Bobbers Mill Bridge
• The Day Brook catchment (Main River reach with the potential to extend Into the upstream catchment dependent on ongoing discussions with Severn Trent Water and Nottinghamshire County Council)

The project will improve urban open spaces within and on the fringes of Derby and Nottingham as part of a longer-term programme to open up, restore and connect green and blue spaces across the two cities, enriching biodiversity including priority habitats and species.

The project will promote blue green infrastructure across the principal urban areas of D2N2 (Derby and Nottingham Environs), and deliver biodiversity improvements along the strategic river corridors and environs. This includes the River Trent and the River Leen, coupled with the Day Brook, and Tottle Brook in and around Nottingham and the Cuttle Brook, Burley Brook, and Markeaton Brook in Derby. Work will involve wetland creation, wet grassland creation, woodland restoration and planting, river restoration, removing culverts, creating rain gardens, and new urban pathways.

The project while fitting in with several strategies reflecting green and blue initiatives will, also, fit in with the emerging high level Derby Nottingham Metro Strategy. This includes a wide range of measures including identifying Green and Blue actions. While having a focus on the principal urban areas in D2N2 that neither exists in a vacuum and that other local authorities need to be involved. As such, this project becomes the first joint project under this overreaching strategy.

This integrated project aims to deliver environmental enhancements along the river corridors, while delivering multiple, supportive benefits including improving access, habitat creation, improving local flood risk and facilitating the regeneration of derelict land.

This project is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) and Local Levy.