Author: Dom Stevens

£1.5m action grant boost for community groups to be considered

27th March 2018

Extra cash for clubs, community groups and charities across Derbyshire is set to be made available under proposals to be considered by the Derbyshire County Council Cabinet next week.

If approved, a total of 2,000 action grants of £500 each would be offered up until 31 January 2020 to local organisations with plans and projects that would benefit their local community.

A further £500,000 could also be made available for projects which aim to improve health and encourage physical activity.

The Cabinet will consider the proposals at a meeting on Thursday 5 April.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism at Derbyshire County Council, said:-

“Making grants available to local community projects and groups is one of the clear commitments we have made in our Council Plan.

“If approved, the money would give Derbyshire residents the support and the freedom to bring real and lasting benefits to the area where they live. It would help to provide a whole range of opportunities which really do bring people together through activity and make our county a safer, healthier place to live.”

Youth Activity Grants would be available to help 11 to 19-year-olds by setting up projects like youth clubs and arts and music schemes, as helping young people to enhance their entrepreneurial and employment skills.
A number of enhanced youth activity grants would be available for work which helps vulnerable young people at risk of sexual exploitation or radicalisation, or who are struggling to find jobs and training opportunities.
Community Safety Grants would aim to help Derbyshire people to reduce the fear of crime in their communities, address the causes of anti-social behaviour, combat the effects of alcohol and drug abuse and help raise awareness of rogue traders, online fraud and scams.
Community Action Grants would enable residents’ groups to give their area a boost by setting up new clubs, arranging events like fetes and protecting the local environment.
Physical Activity grants would get communities moving together by funding innovative ways of improving access to sport and exercise

If proposals are approved by Cabinet next week, in addition to the 2,000 small grants of up to £500, medium grants of up to £5,000 would also be available to new projects which have strong local support and can be shown to be able to bring significant community benefits.

Large grants of up to £10,000 would be offered to a new project which can be shown to provide long-term benefits and which may promote two or more of the scheme’s four themes − youth activity, community action, community safety and physical activity.

Decisions for the awarding of grants would be made by a panel with a detailed knowledge of youth, community and physical activity projects which are already available across the county.

Councillor Lewis said:-

“If Cabinet approves the proposals, we would want groups of all kinds to take advantage of this offer over the next two years. This money would be additional to other funding pots which our elected members can offer to projects and causes in their area.

“The people who understand the needs of their communities best of all are those who live there and who already volunteer to provide and organise activities there. If approved, they could use these grants to help make a real difference which will benefit others for many years to come.”

Subject to Cabinet approval the council propose to offer:

750 Youth Activity Grants
500 Community Safety Grants
375 Community Activity Grants
375 Physical Activity and Sport Grants

Derbyshire groups, organisations, charities and residents can sign up to an email newsletter for updates about the scheme at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/action

Posted in About Chesterfield

Extra £2m boosts drive to fix county’s potholes

27th March 2018

Derbyshire County Council have welcomed a £2m plus government cash injection in thier drive to fix the county’s potholes.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced on Monday 26 March that England-wide authorities are to receive a share of £100m to help repair potholes and protect roads from future severe weather.

The County Council are to get £2,035,992. This will bring the total spend on fixing Derbyshire’s potholes between now and March 2019 to more than £6m − three times the amount spent during the previous 12 months.

In December 2017 the number of potholes listed for repair had fallen to 120 but by the beginning of March the number had risen to over 3,000. This increase is due to some of the worst winter weather for a decade as more are found during inspections and are reported by the public.

In response Derbyshire County Council announced they were spending £4m on repairing potholes − double compared to the previous year.

The council have already set on nine extra gangs of roadworkers to support the 12 usual teams to fix potholes and carry out other road repairs such as wider areas of patching.

This additional £2m will enable more of this work to be done and more quickly.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure at Derbyshire County Council, said:-

“We had made giant strides to decrease the backlog of potholes on the 3,500 miles of road that we look after reducing numbers by 80% during 2017.

“However, over the last few weeks we’ve experienced the worst sustained period of winter weather for the past 10 years. The constant freezing and thawing, huge amounts of rainfall and blankets of heavy snow have caused our roads to crack which has resulted in a significant rise in the number of potholes and carriageway deterioration.”

Councillor Spencer added:-

“We welcome this extra Government cash on top of the additional funding we have already committed and we will continue to step up our inspections and target our resources where they are most needed. I’d also encourage the public to report potholes so we can feed this into our extra gangs for them to carry out repairs.”

In addition to their pothole budget they are already spending nearly £16m patching, surface dressing and resurfacing the county’s roads and fixing drains and gullies.

And the council are investing an extra £6m on road maintenance to keep on top of highway defects as part of their pledge to keep roads safe and reliable for road users.

Potholes can be reported at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/reportit (opens in a new window)

Once reported potholes − which in line with national guidance must be at least 40mm deep on the road or 20mm on a footpath − are prioritised for repair depending on the risk they pose to road and footpath users.

Factors that determine how quickly a pothole is fixed include location, depth, size and the speed limit of the road. Potholes categorised in most urgent need of repair will be filled within a maximum of 32 hours − usually quicker. Less urgent ones are fixed between five and 28 days after being reported.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Xercise4Less Chesterfield set to open in June

26th March 2018

Xercise4Less Chesterfield have announced they will be opening their gym at Spire Walk Business Park on Friday 15 June.

The gym, which will join recently opened Go Outdoors at the Business Park, is set to be one of the largest gyms in Chesterfield with over 400 pieces of market leading equipment across dedicated cardio, extensive free weights , combat and resistance zones.

Facilities at the gym include a ladies only area and combat zone that includes a 16ft boxing ring and 16ft MMA cage. Members can also take part in over 200 free classes each month in their large fitness & cycling studios; from Zumba to Piloxing, Body Pump to Yoga.

There will be a Founder Price4Life membership of £9.99 available to a number the first customers that sign up as members.

A representative from Xercise4Less comments:-

“We are pleased to announce we are opening the 15th June. We pride ourselves in friendly atmosphere and would love to have you join us when we open our doors in the next couple of months.”

Posted in About Chesterfield

One-hundred-million pound HS2 garden village bid moves a step closer

26th March 2018

Ambitious plans to unlock land for 17,000 homes in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Derby − linked to new HS2 growth zones − have moved a step closer.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that 44 new areas across England have been shortlisted for a slice of £4.1bn in Housing Infrastructure funding to provide vital infrastructure like roads, bridges and new schools needed by new communities.

For the East Midlands, that could mean funding of up to £100m for new infrastructure that will support the two HS2 stations proposed for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

A network of garden villages, which includes developments at Stanton and the Chetwynd Barracks site, will form the centerpiece of the HS2 Hub and innovation campus at Toton and will bring huge economic and quality of life benefits for local people. This is supported by new housing and employment opportunities set around a major new link road between Chesterfield and Staveley in the north.

The bid has been led by Nottinghamshire County Council, on behalf of the wider region.

Further assessment of the bids will now take place, with Government officials working alongside the local bid team. A final decision is expected in the autumn.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said:

“This is a huge step in the right direction for our joint bid to capitalise on HS2 and supports our ambitions for growth in the area.

“The creation of the HS2 maintenance depot at Staveley and the ability to serve Chesterfield with high speed trains will help transform Derbyshire’s economy bringing more jobs and more scope for local people to travel to employment.

“We’ve set out a comprehensive approach to integrating Chesterfield station and associated development areas into the town, and accelerating the regeneration of the Staveley corridor and key surrounding sites.

“This latest announcement gives us a vote of confidence in our plans and we look forward to working with colleagues in Chesterfield, Derby and Nottinghamshire to take our bid to the next stage.”

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said:

“We are proud to lead the Housing Infrastructure bid on behalf of the region and I am absolutely delighted that it has passed this very important hurdle, demonstrating that the Government shares our vision for the huge growth potential that exists in the East Midlands, particularly around HS2.

“The development of a network of mixed use ‘garden villages’ will help us attract and retain high quality jobs and talented people to complement our wider growth story.

“If our bid is successful, it has the potential to be one of the biggest single investments in infrastructure ever made in Nottinghamshire.”

Councillor Ranjit Banwait, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

“I am thrilled that Derby is part of this HS2-centred Housing Infrastructure bid. The East Midlands has huge potential, and being shortlisted is yet another example of our strong commitment to partnership working paying dividends.

“Infinity Garden Village would have a huge, and extremely positive impact on both housing and employment benefits across the city − especially at nearby Infinity Park Derby. I’m certain also that the development of Celanese Urban Village would be a catalyst for regeneration of the Spondon area, and indeed the entire HS2 route.”

Independent analysis suggests that, by targeting key sectors that can benefit from HS2 connectivity, in particular manufacturing, technology and high value services, HS2 can help deliver an additional 74,000 jobs and almost £4bn of GVA by 2043 in the region.

hs2 chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Mitchells celebrates 150-year anniversary

23rd March 2018

One of Chesterfield’s oldest firms, Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

To mark the major milestone Mitchells plans to give something back to the business community, which it has been at the heart of since 1868 and has teamed up with the Derbyshire Times to offer a special prize in the newspaper’s 10th annual Business Awards.

Mitchells will be selecting one of the entrants in this year’s awards to win a free year of mentoring and support from its team of expert staff.

The 150th anniversary celebrations will continue with a party behind its Saltergate-based offices on Friday 11 May, where staff will welcome past and present clients.

Andrew McDaid, partner at Mitchells, said:-

“We are delighted to be celebrating 150 years.

“Very few firms have been around for as long as we have. Over the last century and a half, we have helped so many local businesses to accelerate their growth.

“We wanted to mark such a momentous occasion by thanking the local business community which we have been proud to work with by offering a free mentoring package and helping another local business to realise its full potential.

“Chesterfield is a thriving town and we look forward to another 150 years of working hard for our clients and seeing the area and its businesses grow and prosper.”

Based on Saltergate in the town centre, Mitchells is one of the leading firms of Chartered Accountants in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, providing accountancy services and business advice businesses throughout Chesterfield, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire-based businesses.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Chesterfield Champion announced as 500th ambassador for Inspired by the Peak District project

23rd March 2018

Passion for the Peak District has achieved a new high as the 500^th ambassador to pledge support for a key project to promote business success and boost the local and regional economy is announced.

Chris Mapp, chef patron of The Tickled Trout gastro pub and restaurant at Barlow, near Chesterfield, was revealed as the latest local entrepreneur to join Inspired by the Peak District and celebrate its major milestone at the recent Business Peak District Spring Conference.

Around 80 delegates heard the good news and welcomed the business to the fold at the special event, held at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford in the Water.

“Both I and all my team are passionate about the Peak District, where we are located, the quality of the area’s fresh produce and the work we are doing,” explained Chris, who has previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and took the helm at The Tickled Trout three-and-a-half years ago.

“When I heard about Inspired by the Peak District, I was motivated to join, because I believe that by working together, businesses can both promote themselves and raise the profile of this fabulous area – for everyone’s benefit.

“I’ve also become a member of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, our official tourist board, to help support wider marketing and PR campaigns to promote the Peak District and Derbyshire to staying visitors across the UK and overseas.”

Jim Harrison, Chairman at Business Peak District, added:-

“It’s great to welcome Chris and the team at The Tickled Trout to Inspired by the Peak’s ever-growing band of enthusiastic ambassadors promoting our brand values of quality and excellence in a beautiful environment.

“By joining forces, we can all build on the strong, recognisable brand that celebrates this unique place, as well as helping local businesses strengthen their own products and services and benefiting the local economy.”

The free conference also focused on subjects such as driving productivity and business after Brexit, plus updates on the project’s toolkit and general data protection regulations.

Inspired by the Peak District is part of a £1.49 million support programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to boost business quality, profitability and performance over three years. Its main focus is on promotional, marketing and on-line activity and an annual events programme.

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire is working closely with colleagues at Business Peak District, Derbyshire Dales District Council, High Peak Borough Council and the Peak District National Park Authority to stimulate wider use of the project branding.

The tourist board is also bringing in tourism experts and specialist advisers to deliver a wide-ranging programme of business support focusing on international visitors, accessibility, marketing, business to business networking, workshops promoting the Environmental Quality Mark (EQM) and one-to-one advice and development.

Posted in About Chesterfield

Go Outdoors open first new store in Chesterfield

23rd March 2018

Outdoor retailer, GO Outdoors has announced that it will officially open its first store in Chesterfield on Saturday 24^th March, with actor and BAFTA award-winning investigative journalist Ross Kemp on hand to welcome the community and cut the ceremonial ribbon

The opening not only marks the first GO Outdoors store in Chesterfield, but also the opening of the 63^rd store nationally. The new opening will make its mark on the area with the largest sign ever installed in a GO Outdoors store.

The brand new outlet in Chesterfield will offer customers an impressive 40,000 sq.ft. of retail space. Customers will be able to browse thousands of products including an extensive range of tents and equipment available in a dedicated camping and tents department. The store will also house key new ranges for SS18 from GO Outdoors’ own brands, Hi Gear, North Ridge and Freedom Trail, as well as thousands more products from over 250 brands including RAB, Regatta and Berghaus.

In addition to this, GO Outdoors Chesterfield will feature a specialist cycling department, stocking an incredible range of bikes, cycling clothes and accessories from brands such as the award-winning Calibre, Raleigh and Kona. With expertly-trained staff and mechanics on hand to provide the best advice, GO Cycling offers a bike repair service and a free six-week safety check with every bike purchase.

Each well considered detail of the store design is part of a £1.3million investment in the new development. With all products at discount prices, GO Outdoors continues to inspire everyone in Britain to get outdoors for less.

As part of the new store and investment in Chesterfield, GO Outdoors is pleased to announce that it has helped to increase employment rates in the area by creating 45 new jobs in store.

Commenting on the store launch, general manager Paul Gavin says:-

“We are so excited to be opening Chesterfield’s first GO Outdoors store. We’ve got everything you’d need for the great outdoors and the best staff on hand to help you choose the right products. The opening event kicks off at 9.00am on Saturday 24^th March. We look forward to meeting Chesterfield’s adventurous residents!”

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield’s housing offer to take a leap forward in 2018

22nd March 2018

Chesterfield is experiencing a renaissance in house building. The announcement was made at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event held at the Winding Wheel on Thursday 22 March.

At the sell-out event Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council revealed that nearly 2000 homes are set to be built in the next five years. Speaking at the event he said: “For the first time in many years the Council is able to demonstrate a five-year housing supply while also protecting the borough’s green belt land.”

He revealed that housing developers in the borough, including Woodall, Avant and Miller Homes, were delivering the most new build completions since 2007, with many houses being sold off plan.

Progress is also being made on The Park, the 6-acre residential development on the site of the former Arnold Laver timber yard at the ambitious £340 million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration project.

Speaking at the event, Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company leading the project, revealed that construction of up to 170 two, three and four bedroom homes, which will form ‘The Park’, is expected to get underway as early as the first quarter of 2019.

At the sell-out Celebrate Chesterfield event, Mr Swallow also announced that a collaboration agreement with an investment company to fund and deliver new residential apartments, has recently been put in place.

The agreement is the first stage of a process which will facilitate the construction of 310 Build to Rent apartments within Phase 1 of the Basin Square neighbourhood of Chesterfield Waterside. It follows the granting of outline planning consent for the layout, heights and massing of Phase 1 last year.

Speaking at the event Peter, who had recently returned from France, having attended the leading worldwide property event, MIPIM, where the Chesterfield Waterside project was showcased said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress being made at Chesterfield Waterside.

“We will now move forward with the ‘best bids’ process for the construction of the housing units at The Park and, subject to reserved matters planning consent being granted, expect work to start on site on this phase early next year.

“Demand is strong as developers see the massive potential of Chesterfield Waterside as a whole.”

The 16 hectare development is a 10-year project being led by Bolsterstone Group, working in partnership with Arnold Laver Group and Chesterfield Borough Council. The programme aims to create a thriving new community with homes, offices, shops, bars and restaurants surrounding a new canal basin and is one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, said: The housing announcements made at Celebrate are growing physical proof that Chesterfield is a market town with a difference. We have grown and adapted to the changing needs of residents and businesses and, as a result, created a very attractive investment proposition. People want to live, work and do business here and our housing plans are further evidence of this.”

Celebrate Chesterfield, now in its sixth year, is organised by Destination Chesterfield and is one of the biggest business events in the region.

The University of Derby is headline sponsor of the event alongside Central Technology and Markham Vale as associate sponsors of Celebrate Chesterfield.

Destination Chesterfield was launched in 2010 to improve the economic prosperity of the town through a campaign to promote Chesterfield.

Over the past eight years it has brought together the business community as Chesterfield Champions to market the town, drive investment and bring it to the attention of national investors.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield’s investment potential showcased in new film

22nd March 2018

With £1 billion of investment opportunities underway, Chesterfield’s investment potential has been brought to life in a brand new series of films produced by Destination Chesterfield.

The series of films have been created to showcase the benefits of investing in Chesterfield.

They feature a number of businesses from the leisure and retail, manufacturing and logistics sectors, highlighting the key benefits of basing businesses in the Borough.

Ferdinand Bilstein, Northern Tea Merchants, United Cast Bars Ltd, Bottle and Thyme, and MSE Hiller are amongst a number of businesses featured in the films, highlighting the benefits of Chesterfield’s connectivity, productivity, lifestyle, proximity to the Peak District and skills and education offer.

The films, which have all been created by local film and production company Defeye Creative, have been commissioned by Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment campaign.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager explained: “Chesterfield’s GVA has grown by 28% in the last five years outperforming South Yorkshire, East Midlands and England. These are facts that cannot be taken lightly by businesses looking to grow and invest.

“We have the commercial property, transport links and networks to support businesses and nowhere is this better evidenced that with the businesses that are established in Chesterfield, which is why it was important to showcase them in the films.”

Delighted to take part in the film James Pogson, Director of Chatsworth Road based retailer and manufacturer Northern Tea Merchants said: “Our business has its roots in Chesterfield and has been established here for nearly 70 years. It is an excellent location for us and the transport links have enabled us to grow and develop partnerships with national retailers and take the business from a local tea distributor to a national retailer and manufacturer.”

Dominic added: “The investment potential of Chesterfield is immense. Already we have the UK’s largest leisure development at Peak Resort, one of the largest regeneration projects at Chesterfield Waterside and an HS2 station in planning which will deliver a huge range of opportunities for people to live, work and invest here both now and in the future.”

To view all the films, visit https://youtu.be/cAcHXdi3YRM

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield’s ambitious £340 million regeneration scheme set to take shape in 2018

22nd March 2018

The ambitious £340 million regeneration project Chesterfield Waterside, is set to make significant progress in 2018.

The exciting news was revealed at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event on Thursday 22 March by Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc the company leading the project.

At the event he revealed that construction of up to 170 two, three and four bedroom homes, which will form ‘The Park’ neighbourhood, is expected to get underway as early as the first quarter of 2019.

Delivery of a further 310 residential apartments within Phase 1 of Basin Square has also taken a step forward following a recent collaboration agreement with an investment company as the funding and delivery partner for the proposed ‘Build to Rent’ accommodation. The conclusion of this agreement is the first stage of a process which will facilitate the construction of these one and two bedroom units at Basin Square

The recent progress follows the granting of outline planning consent last year for the layout, heights and massing of the apartments, hotel, offices, retail units and multi-storey car park which will be constructed in Phase 1 of Basin Square.

Further developments at Basin Square include the granting of planning permission to restore the link from the canal to the newly constructed basin within the scheme. A reserved matters planning application will also shortly be submitted for the 4000m² office building, 30% of which is already under offer. Construction of the office building is expected to start early next year.

Speaking at the event Peter, who has recently returned from France having attended the leading worldwide property event MIPIM where the Chesterfield Waterside project was showcased, said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress being made at Chesterfield Waterside.

“The next step in this process is that we will now move forward with the ‘best bids’ process for the construction of the family housing units at The Park and, subject to reserved matters planning consent being granted, expect work to start on site on this phase early next year.

“Demand is strong as developers see the massive potential of Chesterfield Waterside as a whole. The development’s prime location next to the town centre, great road networks and the train station which will have an HS2 stop by 2034, make it an attractive investment opportunity that is holding its own at a regional, national and international level.”

The 16 hectare development is a 10-year project being led by Bolsterstone Group working in partnership with Arnold Laver Group and Chesterfield Borough Council. The programme aims to create a thriving new community with homes, offices, shops, bars and restaurants surrounding a new canal basin and is one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.

Find out more about the Chesterfield Waterside development.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Planning application submitted for new Saltergate car park

22nd March 2018

Plans for a new, modern Saltergate multi-storey car park have been submitted by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The council’s planning committee will decide on the application for a new car park with more than 500 spaces in the coming weeks.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “The new car park moves a step closer to reality now the planning application has been submitted.

“The new car park will be fit for purpose with wider bays and modern facilities and would serve the town centre, including the Premier Inn Hotel, restaurants and fitness centre being built on the site of the former Co-op department store as part of the Northern Gateway development.”

The previous Saltergate multi-storey car park closed at the beginning of February and work is currently being carried out to demolish the concrete structure, built in the early 1970s.

The demolition work should be completed in mid-April.

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “The demolition of Saltergate carpark is a welcome and visible sign that plans for Northern Gateway are starting to come to fruition.

“The very fact the carpark is being replaced with a larger structure is a key indicator that there is both footfall and demand in Chesterfield. There are also further multi-storey carparks being built at Waterside to meet future anticipated demand which is being driven by the town’s investment potential.”

The new car park is part of the wider council-led Northern Gateway scheme. Work is currently underway on the transformation of the former Co-op department store which will feature a 96 bedroom Premier Inn hotel on the upper floors, six bars and restaurants on the ground floor and a fitness centre in the basement.

There will also be environmental improvements on Elder Way and a new enterprise centre on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development