Living in Derbyshire

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Derbyshire is a perfect blend of city and country, blessed with the natural beauty of the Peak District National Park (the world’s second most visited National Park) and thriving culture, with history and heritage at its heart.

Derbyshire is the birthplace of the factory, which ushered in the Industrial Revolution. Modern-day Derbyshire is still proud to be home to several globally renowned manufacturers and businesses. Derby also has a well-deserved reputation for welcoming and supporting new enterprise and has been recognised by 'The Centre for Cities' as a Top Ten UK location in which to start a business.

The East Midlands was the fastest-growing regional economy in the UK in 2019. Being centrally located, Derby has great links to the rest of the country and, due to its history, is a central hub for industry leaders. Now is a great time to come and work in the city.

Derby has a vibrant atmosphere with festivals, top events, live music performances, theatre productions, art exhibitions, and more! 

Culture lovers will find a good variety of entertainment at Derby Theatre. Derbyshire’s grand country houses, charming towns and beautiful countryside are also popular tourist attractions. 

Derbyshire is also a great place to drink and dine. From charming, cosy and historic 18th-century pubs to stunning 2 AA Rosette-awarded restaurants, there are lots of great places to eat in Derbyshire. Derby is also a great champion of local producers, with popular farm shops offering the finest homemade and grown foods, and year-round food and drink markets celebrating local products. Beer lovers will also be happy to know that real ales are in abundance, with local brewers such as Dancing Duck and the Derby Brewing Company supplying pubs across the region.

Find out more about culture in Derby

Adventure and activities

Home to the picturesque Peak District National Park, Derbyshire is hugely popular amongst those looking to enjoy the park’s moors, lakes and tors. The Park also offers the opportunity to participate in everything from walking and cycling to rock climbing, abseiling and water sports.

Derbyshire has lots to offer in the way of sport and leisure activities. Football fans can enjoy following Derby County, whose home is Pride Park Stadium. Derby Arena boasts an exciting range of facilities including a 250m velodrome track and a high-spec gym. The venue also hosts a variety of sporting and entertainment events. 

Watersports lovers will find a variety of sports on offer at nearby Carsington water, including paddleboarding, kayaking and windsurfing; it’s also a great spot for fishing.

As a University employee, you’ll have discounted access to our multi-million pound Sports Centre, featuring a fully equipped gym, fitness studio, group cycling studio, indoor climbing wall, versatile sports hall and 3G synthetic pitches. 

There are also many options for those looking for a thrill, from experiencing the exhilaration of driving a supercar at Donington racetrack, to hang-gliding at Derbyshire flying centre and exploring the underground cave network of the Peak District – there is something for everyone. Alton Towers (the UK’s biggest theme park) is also just 45 minutes away. Those interested in all things supernatural will be excited to learn that Derby lays claim to being one of Britain’s most haunted cities, with regular guided ghost tours searching for things that go bump in the night.

Find out more about adventuring in Derbyshire

A panoramic view of the Peak District from Bamford Edge

Faith and belief

The people of Derby are its greatest cultural asset, with a diversity of backgrounds, knowledge and ideas, creating a rich cultural mix. The city and surrounding areas are home to various places of worship, including churches, as well as a mosque, a mandir and two gurdwaras.

You’ll find Derby’s Multi-Faith centre on our Kedleston Road campus. The centre’s vision is a ‘society where the diversity, expertise and richness of faith communities actively contributes to the building of safe, healthy and cohesive communities throughout Derbyshire.’

Our University celebrates faith and belief throughout the year through a variety of activities hosted by the Chaplaincy Team, the EDI team and student societies.

Find out more about the Multi-Faith Centre

Relocating to Derbyshire

Below is some helpful information if you are moving to Derbyshire. If you are relocating from overseas, you can find more information about immigration routes and practical advice on moving to the UK.

Temporary accommodation

The University may be able to arrange temporary on-site accommodation for you upon joining the University to allow you time to find suitable long-term accommodation in the UK. Due to the nature of the accommodation available, this can only be offered to the staff member and not to family members.

For more information, contact us at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

There are plenty of short-term accommodation options available to you whilst you secure your permanent address.  

Local hotels include:  

Airbnb is also a great option for finding short-term accommodation as well as longer-term lets.

Finesse Property Solutions offer studio and en-suite rooms in the Derby DE23 area. The rooms they offer are ideal for working professionals. All rooms are single occupancy. 

Permanent accommodation

Derby has a great buying and rental property market and, with average house prices of around £250k, it compares favourably with the rest of England and is less than a third of the average London price. Frank Innes provide a summary guide of the best locations to live in the area.

Estate and letting agents can also help you to find suitable accommodation.  Ensure that the agency is a member of a professional body, such as ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents) or NALS (National Approved Letting Scheme).  Both of these organisations require their members to sign up to a code of practice, which guarantees you a certain minimum level of service.

Some local agents include:

Other useful links:

Transport Links

Centrally located, Derby has great transport links to the rest of the country. From Derby Station, trains to London St Pancras take around 90 minutes and you can travel to Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham all in under 45 minutes.  

For car travel, the A6 links Derbyshire to Leicester and Manchester and the M1 takes you south to London or north to Sheffield and Leeds. 80% of the population are within a two-hour drive making it an ideal location for visiting friends, family, customers and suppliers. 

East Midlands Airport is 15 miles from Derby city centre and 40 miles to Birmingham International Airport. Both airports serve a range of domestic, European and International destinations. 

Ferry terminals from Liverpool are 60 miles away from Derbyshire.

Moving with your family

We understand that moving to a new city is difficult, especially for your family members who may need to look for a new job or start in a new school. Some of the resources below may help with that.

Jobs for family members

Job boards have a range of opportunities across various different sectors, some of the biggest UK jobs boards are:

Some local recruitment agencies would be happy to talk you through the available opportunities they have:

Education

Derby and Derbyshire both provide an excellent choice of state, private and independent schools including:

Further information can be found on the Ofsted reports website.

Relocation Assistance Scheme

We are pleased to be able to offer assistance with your relocation costs, should you need to relocate in order to take up the role.  

Actual expenses incurred in relocating from within the UK or from overseas will be reimbursed at the equivalent of 10% of your annual gross salary at the time of taking up your appointment at the University up to a maximum of £8,000 (which is the limit of non-taxable claims as prescribed by HMRC).  

Eligibility  

Relocation assistance will be entirely at the discretion of the University and will be offered where:  

This offer applies to new employees taking up employment with the University.  Consideration may be given to any strong business case put forward by the relevant University Executive Board lead for individuals who fall outside this criterion.   

 The relocation must also meet the following conditions:   

Note: there are immoveable time limits within which the claims must be made to comply with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) rules. Claims must be made by the end of the tax year after commencement.   

You will not be eligible to make a claim for assistance under the scheme if any other member of your household is claiming, or will be claiming, relocation expenses in connection with the move, either from the University or from any other source. 

For those relocating from outside the UK, the costs of obtaining a visa for themselves and family are not covered by the relocation assistance scheme as they are classed as a taxable expense under HMRC rules. Therefore, the University operates a separate Visa Loan Scheme which may be applied for in such instances. 

New members of staff can receive both a visa loan and relocation assistance if agreed. 

Any relocation assistance expenses will need to comply with the criteria issued HMRC by which sets out clear guidelines around these types of expenses and specifically which expenses can be classed as non-taxable. 

More information can be found on the GOV UK website

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