A vacant brownfield site in one of the most sought-after market towns in South Derbyshire will be regenerated by Cameron Homes. The Staffordshire-headquartered housebuilder has acquired the site of the former Senior Citizens Centre in Melbourne, South Derbyshire, to redevelop into a bespoke £3.2m housing scheme – to be called Poppy Court.
Located off Church Street in the centre of the Georgian town, the prime position is close to an array of venues and amenities and lies on the edge of The National Forest. Following extensive bomb damage to a Georgian gentleman’s residence where Royal Engineers were billeted during WWII, the 0.4-acre site was redeveloped into a Senior Citizens Centre in 1965, which closed in 2021.
Enabling works at the Church Street development site are currently being undertaken by PCD Groundworks, in preparation for the build programme commencing in January 2026. The first home handovers are scheduled for summer 2026.
There will be a detached home constructed on Church Street, together with a row of four substantial cottage-style residences facing onto Castle Street. The three- and four-bedroom family homes will range from 1,064 to 1,590 sq ft. Established trees will be retained, and there will be allocated residents’ parking.
The site is within the Melbourne Conservation Area and was identified in the South Derbyshire Local Plan as being suitable for redevelopment. Plans for the bespoke housing scheme were brought forward by the Trustees of Melbourne Hall Estate to safeguard its future by bringing in income for improvements and repairs through the reuse of the land it owns.
John Hickman, Group Land Director for Cameron Homes and Tara Group, said: “The 1960s structure that had occupied this site was not in keeping with the plethora of historic buildings within this highly desirable, picturesque town. We are thrilled to have acquired the land from the Trustees of Melbourne Hall Estate and look forward to the build programme commencing in the New Year. The considered material palette and our renowned craftsmanship will deliver beautiful homes that complement the local vernacular. Melbourne featured in the 2023 Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live Guide, which shines a spotlight on the UK’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. Due to the town’s conservation area status, there is very little scope to deliver new housing, so these five traditionally styled energy-efficient homes will receive a lot of interest from house hunters.”
Following the recent demolition of the Senior Citizens Centre, a British Legion Commemorative Plaque has been repositioned by Cameron Homes to a more prominent location, in a new area of reflection within the boundary wall along Church Street, together with public benches and landscaped planters.
