Derby City & The Region
Derby is at the heart of the country - and at the heart of the action.
Thriving, compact and accessible, it benefits from all the attractions of a major city while enjoying a location on the edge of the Peak District National Park with its glorious countryside and attractive market towns.
Quality of life here is outstanding: statistics suggest that Derby is the safest and best-educated city in the East Midlands, with the highest average earnings.
Celebrated for its pioneering role as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution - when it introduced some of the country’s first factories and spinning mills - Derby is today renowned for its thriving economy based on aerospace, rail technology and IT. It is home to for some 16,000 companies, including household names such as Rolls Royce and Toyota.
Today a massive £2 billion regeneration programme is underway, aimed at revitalising the city’s retail, leisure, residential and commercial scene to make Derby an even better place in which to live, work, visit and study.
Already a new upscale £340 million shopping centre has opened its doors, along with the Quad, a £10 million Visual Arts and Media Centre. The city’s riverside area is also being transformed with a range of projects including hotels, a casino, bars and restaurants. And, of course, Derby College’s new Roundhouse campus has added to the city’s vibrant appeal.
Thanks to Derby’s central location, it has excellent transport links to other cities in the UK: some 6 million people can access the city in less than an hour. Its road links via the M1, A6, A38, A50 and A52 ensure that travel by car is easy and its status as a major rail centre ensures fast daily direct services to key destinations. East Midlands Airport is just 15 minutes away too.