Derby - Riverside Walk

Image: © David Hallam-Jones Taken: 29 Nov 2012

Having left St Mary's Bridge behind them and continued along the Riverside Walk footpath, walkers soon find themselves with the River Derwent on their right and Britannia Court flats on their left. These flats were built in the 1980s but later on when interest in renting bedsits fell away and the properties succumbed to 'broken window syndrome' and "challenging tenants" caused problems, many of them fell empty. These are some of the 61 homes that have lain empty since 2005. With estimates of £2.94m being quoted for converting them into family-sized apartments, the City Council have decided that the costs cannot be justified. Also, because this area falls within what the Environment Agency terms "a blue corridor" - an area it is not proposing to defend against future flooding - there has been limited interest from building firms in quoting for the work. Thus the Council are now considering demolishing the properties and returning the land to its original state.

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