New sustainable travel hub will offer students a range of transport choices

Derby City Council and the University of Derby have joined forces to create a sustainable travel hub at the University’s Kedleston Road site.

Approximately 15,000 students and 3,000 staff are based at the University’s largest and busiest site on Kedleston Road, which is two miles from the city centre. The hub will be the first of its kind in the city, offering multiple transport choices in one place and allowing students, staff and visitors to the University to take full advantage of Derby’s growing active and sustainable transport offer.

The hub will offer a range of sustainable transport choices, such as Lime’s Gen4 e-bikes and electric vehicle charging points, to make travel to and from the University easier. The hub will also help reduce congestion and give students greater transport options. Designed with the capacity to grow as the city’s sustainable travel offer continues to expand, the hub will also become a location for the new Enterprise Car Club, which is launching in Derby later this year. 

This pilot will provide the Council and University with essential information about user behaviour, which can be used to develop future mobility hubs within the city. 

In 2020 Derby City Council, alongside Nottingham City Council, were awarded £161 million for transport improvements from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transforming Cities fund, aimed at improving connections between major employment sites and promoting active travel and public transport. The two councils were also awarded a £16.7 million grant from the Government’s Future Transport Zones fund which is being invested in joint projects which aim to improve connectivity and further encourage use of public transport. 

Funded by £800,000 from the Future Transport Zones fund, the hub will complement the city’s growing active travel offer which gives citizens a range of transport options. 

Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, said:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the University of Derby on this innovative project. We have been working hard to increase the sustainable and active travel choices available in the city and it’s important that we make sure that these schemes are also accessible to students who choose to study in Derby. 

“Providing students and University staff with accessible and affordable alternative transport options will further support our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2035 and enhance Derby’s attractiveness as a leading university city.”

Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said: 

“We welcome this opportunity to work alongside the City Council to enhance our sustainable travel facilities for our students and staff. This partnership, which is central to our commitment as a civic university to making a positive environmental impact, will benefit the city’s wellbeing and ensure our students have access to healthier and more sustainable travel around the Derby Campus.

“The hub is just one of the exciting projects the University is currently engaged in as part of our efforts to advance decarbonisation and attain our net-zero goal, solidifying Derby’s reputation as a sustainable university city.”

Student discounts are offered by operators of some of the schemes which will be available at the hub, further reducing transport costs. 

A planning application has been submitted to Derby City Council and is due to be reviewed in the autumn.