February 2012 News

More Good News for Derby!

13th February 2012

Plans are being drawn up by the University of Derby to create a new £9 million sports development to serve both students and the community on the outskirts of the city.

In an exclusive interview, vice-chancellor Professor John Coyne revealed details of the scheme and said he was keen to see it come to fruition during the 2012 Olympic year.

The scheme will include a sports hall and a football and tennis arena, overlooked by a two-storey pavilion. It will be built at the Kedleston Road campus.

There are a number of pitches situated there already but Professor Coyne said he wants to see them improved and extended.

The professor, who explained he has a "vision" for improving campus sports sites, said: "We want to show everyone that the university is really going places."

He said he wanted to get local people "on board" with the plans and invite them to use the new sports venue.

He said: "There is every intention of opening up the complex to the community and particularly people living in the surrounding area in Allestree."

The sports development is the latest in a series of major projects by the university, which include acquiring Derby Theatre and opening a business arm called University of Derby Corporate in Bridge Street.
Professor Coyne said: "The city council is looking to develop sporting opportunities on the other side of the city with the creation of a velodrome. So, we want to do our bit on this side of the city."
Last week it was revealed that the university, in common with many institutions across the country, had suffered a drop in the number of people applying for places in 2012 following the controversial introduction of higher fees from this September.

Against a national drop of 8%, applications to the University of Derby had fallen 24%, although this was set against a similar rise last year as people rushed to get places ahead of the increase.

Professor Coyne said: "We are still oversubscribed for the 3,000 places that are on offer and, reassuringly, we have made 1,000 more offers this year compared to the equivalent time in 2011.

"I believe this year, potential students are more focused on what they want to do and where they want to spend their money.

"We have been very honest in pitching our fees on a sliding scale around £7,500, instead of just charging the maximum of £9,000 like some universities, based on what it costs us to teach the various courses.

"So, our desire to improve the sports facilities has come in response to the need to increase our profile in the eyes of the students.

"It also dovetails into the overall drive in the city and county to boost sport and keep good athletes in the city."

Professor Coyne said that spending around £9 million in the current economic climate might seem excessive.

He said: "But this is good inward investment by us and everything we have done over the last few years has been managed without borrowing a single penny.

"So, we feel comfortable being able to improve the sports resources for our students and the wider community."

The university has been keen to expand its sports resources for many years and originally purchased the Sturgess Field site to become a sports centre for students in 1995. But the plans never came to fruition.

More recently, in 2006, the university held talks with the city council over the possibility of a joint sports venture involving Moorways Sports Centre and the creation of a 500-seat grandstand and stadium at Kedleston Road.

But, since then, this has been superseded after the city council announced a £20 million plan to create a 14,500-square metre arena, 250-metre velodrome and a 1.5km outdoor closed cycle circuit in Pride Park.

There are also plans for a 50m swimming pool in the city centre.

A University of Derby Students' Union spokesman said: "We are pleased to see further investment in sports facilities here.

"The latest ones will improve the student experience and will create an excellent training and match day venue for our sports clubs, improve the learning experience of students on our sports courses and ensure we offer greater flexibility to provide recreational sporting opportunities for the whole student body.

"The investment in sports facilities shows we are serious about sport”.

Source: Derby Evening Telegraph