Wavensmere Homes has launched a £23m building of apartments for rent as the final phase of its £175m Nightingale Quarter development in Derby city centre.
The five-storey red brick building comprises 103 one- and two-bedroom apartments, which is in the final stages of the fit-out phase. Every home is being fully furnished to a premium specification by national interior design company Project Furniture Residential. Derby Estate Agent Ashley Adams has been appointed to let the homes, which will become available for occupation from November 2025.
Located on London Road, between the Florence Nightingale Community Hospital and the Nightingale Quarter residents’ gymnasium, the final apartment block has taken 18 months to construct. In total, the 18.5-acre development incorporates 125 family houses and 800 apartments, together with an extensive range of community amenities. The Florence Nightingale-designed former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary had lain derelict for a decade prior to Wavensmere Homes’ acquisition and start on site in 2019.
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “Nightingale Quarter has been incredibly popular on the rental market ever since we completed the first tranche of homes here in 2021, with a new standard being set for quality city living in Derby. Buy to lets will always be popular at large developments such as this, but Walton House will be a premium, corporately managed building, with the added advantage that our ownership makes us even more invested in the long-term legacy of the entire site.
“Retaining ownership of at least 10% of each of our major developments is something we’ve been working towards for some time. We want to proudly co-invest with individual investors, many of whom have been loyal to Wavensmere for several years. It’ll be exciting to show people around these beautiful apartments, which have been fully styled by a specialist interior designer. With Walton House being less than a five minute walk to Derby train station, or the Derbion, this is the perfect setting for discerning renters.”
All residents at Nightingale Quarter have access to the residents’ indoor and outdoor gymnasiums, large co-working facility, and can also make the most of the community garden and running track around the circumference of the 18.5-acre development. The award-winning, critically acclaimed Pepperpot restaurant is within one of two 19th Century buildings, which Wavensmere saved from demolition and painstakingly restored.
Walton House features solar PV roof panels with battery storage, to enable the green energy generated on site to be captured and used to power a proportion of the building’s electricity use. 7kW EV chargers and rapid charge bays are also installed into the new building, enabling residents of the 79 one-bed and 24 two-bedroom apartments to minimise their carbon footprint.
James Dickens added: “When we acquired this vacant site only six years ago, we set out to design a landmark scheme that embraced the DE1 location and didn’t turn its back on the city centre. We are proud that Nightingale Quarter’s 925 new homes have transformed the city living market, acting as the catalyst for thousands more to be delivered within central Derby.
“By installing new footpaths, cycle routes, roads, co-working space, a gym – and making a restaurant Nightingale Quarter’s new focal point – this redundant hospital site is once again a vibrant community asset. Marking the conclusion of six years of development activity with the launch of Walton House is the ultimate success story.”
One- and two-bedroom apartments at Walton House, Nightingale Quarter are priced from £950 to £1400 pcm. Two fully furnished show homes are available to view by appointment, accessed off 128 London Road, Derby DE1 2QQ. For further information, call 01564 781453, or email info(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)wavensmere.co.uk