Hostel proposal for Derby staff

•   Blue Derby Foundation volunteer Jason Shaw and chairman Grant Kearney out front of the shed proposed for a workers’ hostel.  

By Tony Scott,
August 11, 2021

An organisation set up to help maintain and promote the mountain bike trails at Derby and advocate for the town itself wants more long-term accommodation provided to house workers at local businesses. 

The Blue Derby Foundation, a not-for-profit company, has a range of fund raising methods in place and under consideration as well as an extensive list of priorities.

Foundation chairman Grant Kearney said near the top of that list is finding ways of allowing employees of the town’s business to stay near their jobs, in Derby or not far away.

“One option we’re looking at is to renovate an old building central to town to make it a comfortable hostel-style accommodation.”

The old Department of Main Roads shed is little used for some storage, but Mr Kearney said it could house up to eight people.

He said the possibility of leasing the shed was being discussed with Dorset Council.

The concept is similar to the model used at ski villages to house staff.

There were at least 66 short term rental accommodation premises in Derby and nearby, which had squeezed the availability of longer-term rental accommodation, ordinarily the preferred housing for staff in the situation.

Mr Kearney said one of the fundraising options was for the foundation to launch its own accommodation booking platform.

“We’ve had a good response from a survey of accommodation providers indicating 80 per cent of them would be happy to list through such a platform.

“That would mean rather than a commission being paid to an overseas-based on line travel agency, like Air BnB, we would keep a lower commission here in town to use locally.”

Another funds raiser being put into practice was for a series of “tap points” to be installed near trail heads and around town where people could make a $10 donation simply by tapping their credit card.

A proposal to have an optional levy included in the price of a shuttle bus ticket was also being discussed with the operators.

Mr Kearney said the Foundation had also agreed to take over the operation of the Derby Market from the Derby Community Development Association.

A revamped market was likely to open closer to summer probably in a different venue than the town hall.