The old training ground has stood empty for 23 years
Derby County vacated the Ramarena when they moved to Moor Farm
The land of Derby County’s old training ground could be brought back into use for the first time in 23 years – to help a “critical” Rolls-Royce expansion.
New cricket pitches could be installed at the site of the former “Ramarena” training ground at Raynesway.
The plan sent to Derby City Council chiefs wants to breathe new life into the site where, for decades, Rams players used to train for games at the Baseball Ground.
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The club left the training facility in the early 2000s and moved to Moor Farm in Oakwood.
Since then, it is reported, the land has stood derelict and been the subject of anti-social behaviour and fires.
Rolls-Royce wants to create two cricket pitches on the site – opposite its Raynesway offices – to facilitate the relocation of Alvaston and Boulton Cricket Club.
The club play its home games within the Rolls-Royce grounds – so the proposed move would just be to the other side of the busy road.
Documents state the reason for this move is “to enable redevelopment of its current site as part of the Rolls-Royce Raynesway expansion”.
The Rolls-Royce Defence building in Raynesway
Rolls-Royce – one of Derby’s biggest employers – is currently contracted to provide all the nuclear reactor plants that will power new attack submarines as part of a tri-lateral agreement between Australia, the UK and the US (Aukus).
The company is working to double the size of its submarine site to meet increased demand from the Royal Navy.
This wider scheme will deliver significant economic benefits creating more than 1,100 jobs.
Rolls-Royce chiefs say the expansion is of “critical national importance”.
A report detailing the application says early installation of the cricket pitches is ‘essential’ as cricket squares “need two growing seasons to become playable”.
The planning statement on behalf of Rolls-Royce states: “The proposed relocation of the cricket club to the former Ramarena site will enable the continuation of playing pitch provision from one site to the other.
“The proposal will also facilitate the delivery of modern, higher‑quality cricket facilities to replace the club’s existing provision.
“We consider that due to the length of time it has been unused – over 20 years – the former Ramarena site is considered to have a ‘nil’ planning use due to abandonment.”
Previous plans for the site – close to the River Derwent – to turn it into a storage facility were turned down by the council in 2014.
Planning officers at the time said the application did “not adequately demonstrate that the proposed use would minimise the adverse effects associated with a high flood risk”.
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