Derby City Council is seeking nearly £1 million in government funding to expand its green infrastructure strategy and enhance access to nature-led public spaces. The funding bid, expected to be approved this week, would finance three temporary staff positions dedicated to nature-based regeneration projects across the city.

The proposal aims to scale up initiatives like Electric Daisy, a high-footfall public garden and events space launched in Bold Lane in 2022, which has become a catalyst for environmental engagement and economic activity in the area. Plans are now underway to expand the site, potentially into a mini Eden Project-style venue, pending further investment.

The broader programme will focus on increasing connectivity between green spaces, improving urban resilience, and embedding nature into regeneration plans. It includes a push to ensure that underrepresented and marginalised communities benefit from accessible green infrastructure.

A newly formed advocacy group, the Derby Nature Collective, will play a supporting role in the city’s environmental agenda, aligning with the council’s efforts to build long-term sustainability into urban development.

The funding, if secured, will be disbursed over three years, with recruitment aligned to the council’s hiring processes. The initiative positions Derby as a case study for leveraging environmental assets to drive inclusive urban growth.

Affordable homes developer Morro Partnerships has reported a major mindset shift in its approach to sustainable construction, following a year of positive impacts with waste management experts Bakers Environmental Solutions. The collaboration between Morro and Bakers, formed in November 2022, emerged from a shared vision of challenging industry norms and driving positive change. As well as improving operations, there has been a stronger focus on boosting social value. Since January 2024, skip usage has been reduced by nearly 50%. Previously, the business used three to four skips per plot; it now targets just 1.5 to two skips. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Morro achieved an average of 0.84 skips per plot. Sites also reached a 70% average on-site recycling rate, with surplus materials repurposed into valuable community assets. Megan Crate is the dedicated full-time account manager from Bakers, looking after all Morro sites and checking in with teams to help them reach these targets. Megan said: “Over the past year working with Morro, we have made great strides in reducing waste outputs and educating teams on the importance of sustainability. So far, Morro has recycled more than 2,200 tonnes of materials on-site, while 23 tonnes have been donated, reused, repurposed or diverted away from skips. “When our partnership began, we developed and rolled out a formal strategy across all of Morro’s sites in the West and East Midlands. This enabled us to track and report on the success of our on-site recycling efforts and clearly demonstrate the positive impact of our work.” Morro aims to recycle/segregate as many materials on-site as possible, with anything leftover being recycled off-site, reused, donated or going into energy from waste – the overarching goal is ‘zero to landfill’. Highlights include the near-complete development at Goodsmoor Road in Derby, where there has been an impressive 75% on-site recycling rate. Meanwhile, 1.28 tonnes of surplus timber were diverted into HMP Fosse Way, where bespoke items were made for the London Road, Daventry site. In addition, there are ongoing improvements at phase one of the Abbey Park Road development in Leicester, where the team achieved 65% on-site recycling, with even higher results expected in phase two. Megan added: “This type of partnership is unusual in the housebuilding sector and certainly unique from anything I have done before, and really shows Morro has its priorities in the right place. “My role involves educating and establishing those best practices with teams, and from there, we have been able to design optimal recycling zones with colour-coded tipping skips and clear signage that makes participation even easier; we now see everyone much more engaged and involved in the process, now they see how little items add up to big changes.” Another aspect of the Bakers’ partnership is taking a full-circle approach by turning what would otherwise be waste, into meaningful community assets. Much of this involves Bakers’ Inside Out Academy; an initiative that provides prisoners with valuable skills and qualifications in waste management and recycling, helping to lower reoffending rates and offering inmates a pathway to meaningful employment and a fresh start. At HMP Fosse Way in Leicester, inmates can take part in workshops to create items such as birdboxes, birdfeeders and planters using surplus timber and pallets from Morro sites across the region. In some cases, bespoke items such as signage boards, and manhole cover supports were also made. These are then sent back to the sites and for various community organisations, such as nurseries and community centres, to enjoy. The impact of these ambitions is far reaching, with many materials that don’t get recycled or repurposed being completely reused instead. This includes items of show home furniture, decorating supplies or materials. Abdul Mozzamdar, head of social purpose at Morro, said: “These types of initiatives have a dual purpose for Morro. As well as providing valuable resources for community projects, we are contributing to training opportunities within the Bakers’ Inside Out Academy, aiming to reduce reoffending through job skills development. “As part of our Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) ambitions, we are committed to looking at the whole picture and seeing where we can join up our thinking to support multiple causes at once. While Bakers and Megan are committed to supporting our environmental goals, there is a crossover into our social value too, so the partnership is truly a game changer for our business.”

Charles Church North Midlands has secured full planning permission for Hill Top View, a new 48-home development on the edge of Melton Mowbray. The development will deliver two to five-bedroom homes equipped with solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. Through the Section 106 agreement, Charles Church will contribute over £949,000 to support local infrastructure and services. This includes an investment of more than £912,000 in local education provision. Rob Blaney, land and planning director at Charles Church North Midlands, said: “We’re pleased to have finalised the purchase and received planning approval for this development, which will deliver much-needed homes for local homebuyers in a desirable location. “We look forward to starting on site soon and to welcoming buyers to the development in the near future.”

AEW UK REIT has purchased Freemans Leisure Park, an 8.4-acre freehold site in the centre of Leicester, for £11.15m.

The property is on an arterial route one mile south of Leicester city centre, close to the University of Leicester’s student campus, and totals 108,771 sq ft across five units along with service yards and 582 car parking spaces.

The property is fully let to tenants including Odeon Cinemas, Mecca Bingo, Spirit Pub Company and Nando’s. The property presents various asset management opportunities, including rental growth prospects through upcoming rent reviews; the possibility of an EV charging letting; and appraising alternative uses, such as hotel and restaurant, for areas of the site that have not been developed.

The acquisition completes the company’s redeployment of sale proceeds from the disposal of Central Six Retail Park in Coventry.

Laura Elkin, portfolio manager of AEW UK REIT, said: “We are very pleased to have completed this acquisition which returns the Company to a fully invested position. Freemans Leisure Park offers an accretive income profile, as well as being defensively priced relative to surrounding alternative-use land values. 

“We continue to actively monitor a pipeline of investments and remain optimistic about the attractive opportunities for investment in the current market.”