Chesterfield: A review of the year
While 2019 has been another year of political uncertainty, one thing that has remained consistent is Chesterfield’s progress.
Destination Chesterfield and its many Champions forged ahead with their plans, providing a solid platform for further growth and development in 2020.
2019 was the year that major developments started to come out of the ground, resulting in jobs and exciting new venues being created in the town centre.
The new Premier Inn hotel opened in April 2019 on the first and second floors of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way, forming part of the Northern Gateway development. It created 37 new jobs and is currently achieving an occupancy rate of around 90% at weekends and an impressive 60% during the week – helping the town increase its number of overnight stays and footfall.
Increasing footfall was high on the agenda for Chesterfield town centre in 2019 with retailers, the council and Destination Chesterfield coming together to collectively promote the town, helping attract visitors and new businesses to high streets throughout the borough.
Vicar Lane Shopping Centre received national recognition for its contribution to increasing footfall in the town centre in December when it won the gold award in the Re:wired category at the prestigious REVO Gold Awards which recognise and celebrate the best examples of innovative retail property technology.
Vicar Lane and its owner Alterx have worked with tech specialist Maybe*Tech to engage with the Chesterfield audience. The findings have led to a new approach to the leasing of empty shops with Steeplegate coming to life again as a venue for independent brand
2019 was also the year that jobs at created Markham Vale exceeded those employed there when the site operated as a colliery. 2019 was the year that Chesterfield welcomed Spanish train manufacturer Talgo following the opening of its UK head office at Barrow Hill.
And the town isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in 2020. More jobs are set to be created at Elder Way in 2020 as the basement and ground floor of the former Co-op are transformed into restaurant, bars and a gym by the developer Jomast.
Further buildings are also set to come out of the ground at Northern Gateway and Chesterfield Waterside, while planning approval was granted in late 2019 for the David Lloyd Adrenalin World at Peak Resort in Unstone.
Exciting times are ahead for visitors, residents and businesses.
Destination Chesterfield’s Champions were asked to reflect on 2019; what were their highs and memorable moments, and also asked to look ahead to what they believe 2020 holds in store for them and the town.
Name: Lee Ashley
Job Title: Director
Company: Spire Recruitment Ltd
What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?
“I have been impressed with how all the plans for our town have come together and have actually happened, it is great to see so many businesses doing well and playing an active part in making Chesterfield a prosperous area. The amount of construction work in the region is great, all the new additions to our town are brilliant and give people reasons to visit the town centre. The fact so many new companies have chosen Chesterfield as their home is positive as well – the economy in Chesterfield is very stable and long may that continue!”
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“Spire Recruitment is approaching its sixth Birthday and we are looking to expand our team. We hope by growing, it will give us even more opportunities to show local companies what we are all about. 2020 is a year we are really looking forward to and we wish everyone else a Happy New Year.”
Name: Craig Evans
Job Title: Chief Operating Officer
Company: UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA)
What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?
“Apprenticeships are an important route to further education. They allow young people to have a real job with training, earn while they learn, develop their skillsets and understand their full potential. UKATA currently employs five apprentices and three former apprentices and, as a former apprentice myself, I understand first-hand the very real benefits apprenticeships provide both to the business and the individual.”
Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?
“UKATA is supporting the British Lung Foundation in 2020, to raise awareness, fund research and support victims of asbestos related diseases. For over 30 years, BLF has been the only charity in Britain solely based on researching lung diseases. They help people of all ages suffering from a variety of conditions including asbestos related cancer – mesothelioma. 10,000 people are newly diagnosed with a lung disease each week in the UK, over 5,000 die each year due to asbestos related diseases.”
Name: Zhanna Troshina
Job Title: Sales and Marketing Executive
Company: RA Information Systems
What excited you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“Chesterfield has experienced a huge expansion of the businesses operating in workspace industry over the last five years and has an abundance of new business premises, modern office, innovation and multi-use accommodation. The industry growth is predicted to continue with flexible workspaces becoming increasingly required. Rapid urbanisation may increase workspace business rates and reduce availability in cities, which will result in Chesterfield being considered as a convenient and ideal location. These positive trends show a prodigious opportunity for the town’s future.”
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“RA Information Systems has substantial experience working with workspace providers such as Business and Incubation Centres and Science Parks. The industry growth represents a good opportunity for us to continue delivering projects comprehensive of services such as IT infrastructure, shared internet connectivity, VoIP telephony, data security, industry specific software and tech support. We look forward to offering technology solutions enabling further growth of this evolving industry.”
Name: Jane Manfredi
Job Title: Proprietor
Company: proMUA & Beauty Training
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“At proMUA & Beauty Training we pride ourselves in being a VTCT approved centre offering World Class Qualifications at Level 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy and Make-up. We are excited to be offering Beauty and Make-up courses for 14-16-year olds in 2020. These will be a Level 1 and will run one day per week after school. This will be a fantastic opportunity for school children to gain a vocational qualification alongside their school studies.”
What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“Having my business in the centre of Chesterfield, it’s great to see new developments happening. The Northern Gateway scheme is very exciting and, with projects already completed in the town centre, it’s definitely encouraging new businesses to come to Chesterfield creating job opportunities. It’s good news that the planning for the Chesterfield Enterprise Centre has been passed so I’m looking forward to seeing the development of that in 2020.”
Name: Clare Talati
Job Title: Director
Company: Derbyshire Education Business Partnership
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“In 2019, we achieved the matrix Standard and were Highly Commended in the Careers Provider of the Year category at the Careers Excellence Awards. We were also finalists at the East Midlands Chamber Business Awards for Outstanding Growth. We can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring! We intend to grow our programmes to help ensure learners benefit from, and schools meet, the Gatsby benchmarks. We‘ll also be expanding the work we deliver with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities schools.”
What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?
“We promote careers in all sectors by working with local employers. This helps inform young people about the opportunities available and the skills employers value and look for. Bringing the world of work to life for learners is at the core of what we deliver. Therefore, we are proud to be part of Made in Chesterfield; raising the awareness of careers – in manufacturing, engineering, science and technology – with 3,000 students reached since the campaign began in 2014.”
Name Julie Richards
Job Title: Principal and Chief Executive Officer
Organisation: Chesterfield College
What excited you most about Chesterfield’s future?
“It is exciting to know that Chesterfield College is playing a part in developing a learning culture within our town and we are helping to build a community of learning to support growth and prosperity.
“We support young people and adults to progress into successful careers by giving them the skills and experiences they need. Ensuring local companies have the ability to develop their workforce effectively and are able to meet the need to develop technology skills is a key part of how we support businesses to grow and thrive.”
Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?
“In 2019, we played a part in raising awareness of the need for fair funding for colleges through the national ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign. We want to ensure the Government understands the important role further education plays so we will continue to campaign for fair funding in 2020 and beyond to ensure we can carry on inspiring futures and changing lives for our community.”
Name: Stephen Gordon
Job Title: Executive Director
Company: Banner Jones Solicitors
Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?
“Working in a business sector that is notorious for using lots of paper, we’ve decided that it’s time to be different and are striving to become ‘paper-lite’. We’ve already started the process and, in some departments, we are already working without paper. This not only helps us to reduce our carbon footprint but also produces a better, clearer working environment for our staff. We hope to finish the process in early 2020.”
Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?
“As a business. we take the wellbeing of our staff very seriously and have recently appointed a dedicated Performance & Wellbeing Coach to provide support when needed. To continue with this focus on mental health we have decided to make ‘Mind’ our charity of the year in 2020 and will plan various fundraising initiatives around this. We’ve always been a big supporter of local charities such as Ashgate Hospicecare and they will also remain close to our hearts in 2020.”
Name: Tim Benson
Job Title: Associate
Company: AECOM
What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?
“Investment in infrastructure will continue to increase over the next 12 months, providing many employment opportunities in transportation, power generation and new housing. In addition to the delivery of new infrastructure is the challenge that the climate emergency puts on the way we use existing infrastructure. These demands require new thinking and new solutions, presenting plenty of opportunities for school leavers to get involved straight away through our apprenticeship programme.
Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?
“On a local level, we are looking to support various local charities next year as part of our commitment to Social Value. All of our employees are given two days every year to give something back to our local communities. We are currently in discussion with Derbyshire Voluntary Action group, Groundwork Towards Work and Young Enterprise East Midlands, and have established relationships with local organisations including Ashgate Hospicecare and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.”
Name: Mark Ross
Job Title: Managing Director
Organisation: Redbrik Estate Agents
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“We are already excited about the opportunities for real growth in 2020 and for Redbrik to become more of an integral part of homeowner’s lives. We have always prided ourselves on our innovation and the ability to solve our customers’ problems, and we plan on doing this next year through the launch of new services to the property sector. There will be fantastic opportunities for people who love customer service, marketing and property to join our expanding team – watch this space!”
Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?
“As a company, we are focused on supporting charitable causes across the communities we serve. We are very proud to be sponsors of the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon, enabling over £100,000 to be raised since 2017 for local charities. The event’s charity partners are Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and, this year alone, runners pledged excess of £40,000 for them. In 2020 we would love to get over 2,000 runners on the start line and double the amount we’ve raised so far for the charities.”
Name: Leah Shortt
Job Title: Operations Manager
Company: Learning Unlimited
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“We pride ourselves on being able to support businesses to attract new talent through apprenticeship and training programmes. Our newly appointed product development team is looking forward to supporting employers to create dynamic and cutting-edge education and training programmes to meet the needs of industry, whilst addressing local skills shortages. Our years of experience in education and training puts us in an advantageous position when it comes to working in partnership with business and shaping their future workforce and skills development.
What are the opportunities for school leavers in 2020 to join your sector?
“The range of career routes opened up by the number of apprenticeships available is really exciting. I would encourage any school leaver to look beyond traditional routes into employment and explore the options available to them through apprenticeships. You can achieve university-level qualifications and get vital skills at the same time as earning a wage. Our apprenticeships careers fair on 4 February 2020 at Chesterfield College will showcase the range of opportunities available and give you chance to meet local employers.”
Name: Anna Melton
Job Title: Director
Company: In the Works PR
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“The demand for video content continues to increase and became an integral part of what we offer at In the Works PR 2019. We have invested heavily in editing software as there is certainly going to be lots of opportunities for film where our construction and development clients are concerned and their projects start to take shape in 2020.”
What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“The town leaves 2019 on a high and I am so proud to be part of it. Spades have gone into the ground at major developments this year which is what people have been waiting for. So much happens behind the scenes with commercial developments that often the development can seem like a white elephant because they don’t happen immediately. It’s definitely not the case in Chesterfield. I am hugely optimistic for the town, my business and my team in 2020. It’s definitely going to be a Happy New Year!”
Name: Neil Johnson
Job Title: Managing Director
Company: Derbyshire Building Control Partnership (DBCP)
What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“With a number of large-scale developments starting to come out of the ground in Chesterfield, construction in the town will take a dramatic leap forward in 2020 and this will present opportunities for Chesterfield’s communities. There are many building projects, big and small, scheduled for 2020 and it’s great to see Chesterfield’s ambition and investment continuing at a good pace. This is really exciting for myself and the DBCP team to be involved with – it will certainly keep us busy in the new year.”
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“The increase in construction projects, not only in Chesterfield but across Derbyshire as a whole, places greater demands on our services. So, I see opportunities for growth with recruitment as a major opportunity for DBCP in 2020. We’ve already got a great team, but we’re on the look-out for good building control professionals. There’s a great career opportunity for them with DBCP in 2020”
Name: Peter Swallow
Job Title: Managing Director
Company: Bolsterstone Group Plc
What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?
“A highlight for me has to be the creation of Destination Chesterfield of which I am Chair. It has brought together the business, charity and education sectors to really make a difference in driving forward the town. I don’t know of any other town or city that has achieved this, and should all be proud of what has been achieved. By working together, we really have made a difference and established a solid platform for further investment, jobs and opportunity for Chesterfield over the next decade.”
What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“Chesterfield Waterside is really starting to come together. This development will make a significant impact on Chesterfield’s future, providing jobs and homes for local people, and 2020 will be a formative year for the development. Avant Homes began construction of 173 homes in 2019 and they will be released for sale in 2020. This is the year we will also see the office accommodation at the Basin Square neighbourhood come out of the ground, representing the first step in delivering the commercial element of the Waterside vision and we are already in advanced talks with occupiers for the office space. The future is bright for both Chesterfield Waterside and the town itself.”
Name: James Pogson
Job Title: Director
Company: Northern Tea Merchants
Has your business made a New Year’s resolution and, if so, what is it?
“Northern Tea Merchants has been working hard throughout 2019 to reduce the amount of plastic used across the company and in particular tea bags, and that will continue going into 2020. We completed our final Biodegradable Tea Bag Paper test on the 30 October this year and have produced over 500,000 biodegradable bags so far. We will continue working hard and carrying any further research necessary to continue to minimise the amount of plastic we use.”
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“We are excited to continue growing the contract packing side of the business next year whilst continuing to supply our high-quality teas, coffees and cocoa to all of our local Chesterfield customers. Our aim is to keep looking after our loyal, existing customers, by supplying the best tea and coffee at great prices, and welcome more and more new customers with open arms.”
Name: Mark Hill
Job Title: Commercial Property Director (Jomast Developments)
Company: Elder Way
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“In 2020 there is a huge opportunity for us to transform the ground floor and basement of the former Co-op on Elder Way. Right now, the space is empty, but in 2020 I am confident we will see new businesses here. The Premier Inn is open and trading well and now is the time to bring restaurants, cafés and bars together at Elder Way and create a brand new leisure quarter in the heart of Chesterfield.”
What has been Chesterfield’s most significant achievement in the last decade?
“Chesterfield Borough Council has done a great job in supporting inward investment over the last decade. It has been open, welcoming and, most importantly, supportive of investors like us. I know this played a big part in attracting Jomast to invest in the former Co-op building on Elder Way. We’re very glad we took the plunge three years ago to invest in Chesterfield and it’s great to be part of the town’s future with such a landmark development.”
Name: Cllr Tricia Gilby
Job Title: Leader
Company: Chesterfield Borough Council
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“Chesterfield Borough Council is one of the town’s biggest businesses, a £110m business employing 900 staff and delivering 50 services. In 2020, we plan to build dozens of new council homes, set the council and Chesterfield on the right path to carbon neutrality, develop our third innovation centre for new start-up businesses and attract more visitors through our expanding festivals and events programme. We also have the opportunity to boost the fortunes of Staveley by sealing a £25m town deal”.
What excites you the most about Chesterfield’s future?
“Our £2.1bn growth programme. 2020 is a big year for Chesterfield Waterside with new homes, a new office block and a new car park set for construction; also, for Peak with David Lloyd due to build their first Adrenaline World. We hope the Government will confirm the funding for a new £90m road to bypass Brimington and fully commit to HS2, which will bring enormous benefits to Chesterfield. These developments will create thousands of new well-paid jobs for local people”.
Name: Dom Stevens
Job Title: Destination Chesterfield Manager
Organisation: Destination Chesterfield
What are the opportunities for your business in 2020?
“The team at Destination Chesterfield are looking forward to relaunching the Chesterfield Retail Awards as the Chesterfield High Street Awards. The new look awards are the culmination of the feedback from past entrants so we are confident that they will reflect the breadth of businesses and activities, that together bring vitality to our high streets across the borough. We’re very excited by the opportunities the new High Street Awards bring not only to businesses and people that enter them, but also the borough as a whole. We want as many people to be involved as possible.”
Has your business pledged to support a charity in 2020? If so, which one and how will it be supporting it?
“As part of Destination Chesterfield’s 10th year celebrations the team has pledged to undertake at least 10 volunteer days in the Chesterfield community. We recognise that the community, charity and volunteer sectors are such an important part of Chesterfield so it’s great that we will be able to support them throughout 2020.”
Over 180 organisations have become Chesterfield Champions to support the development of our economy, shape our future and showcase all that is good about the town. Joining the scheme is a direct statement of belief from organisations about their commitment to Chesterfield and its successful future.
For information on how you can become a Chesterfield Champion, please visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/destination-chesterfield/champions/
