About Chesterfield

£3 million housing complex opens in Chesterfield

29th November 2016

A £3 million housing complex for older people has been officially opened by Chesterfield Borough Council.

Parkside in Stand Road has 22 two-bedroom flats, each with a kitchen and lounge area, wet room type bathroom, hall and storage area.

Each flat also has a balcony, Juliette balcony or bay window, with most overlooking Stand Road Park.

In addition to individual facilities the complex has a common room, communal kitchen, assisted bathrooms, storage area for mobility scooters, courtyard and garden area.

The official opening was performed by Carol McManus, wife of former councillor and Alderman Jim McManus, who died in August last year. Alderman McManus had been a councillor for 28 years and cabinet member for housing for four years before he stood down from the council in May 2015.

The building has been dedicated jointly to the memory of Alderman McManus and Andy Simpson, Chesterfield Borough Council’s head of housing from July 1996 to July 2013, who died in February 2015.

Both men were involved in coming up with the plans to demolish the old Parkside and build a modern replacement in its place.

Councillor Tom Murphy, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is the first major new council housing development for five years and provides fantastic accommodation for the residents here.

“The residents have great views of the park from their balconies and have all told me how much they appreciate the new facilities.

“It was very fitting that the opening was carried out by Carol McManus as her late husband Jim, and his colleague Andy Simpson, were instrumental in making this project happen.

“I know they would both have been very proud to see the finished project and the benefits that it is bringing to the residents who have moved in.”

The complex has been built on the same site as the old Parkside building, which was demolished in 2014.

Residents moved in to the new Parkside building during the summer.

Parkside was designed by Franklin Ellis Architects and built by A&S Enterprises Ltd.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Local businesses and schools called on to work together

29th November 2016

Businesses and schools in the area are being urged to work more closely together to address the employment gap.

The appeal came at the recent Employability Skills Conference which was organised by D2N2 Enterprise Advisor Network and Destination Chesterfield, to address the mismatch between employment opportunities in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire and the number of young people coming forward to fill them.

While apprenticeship opportunities in the area have increased, a recent D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership report suggests that only 48% of schools are organising visits to local apprenticeship providers, leaving employers also struggling to fill apprenticeship vacancies.

The first ever Employability Skills Conference, which was attended by more than 80 people, including head teachers, local authority, training providers and employers in the area, aimed to build stronger links between schools and employers to develop the employability skills through the D2N2 Employability Framework that young people need to be successful in their first steps into employment.

Kam Grewal-Joy, Headteacher Parkside community School, Chesterfield, spoke at the conference. She said:-

“I welcomed the opportunity to speak at the conference to highlight the many benefits of schools linking with employers to prepare children for the world of work. We are always looking to expand the many links we already have with local employers to provide students a new experience.

“At Parkside the learn to work strategy is at the core of our work with young people and their families. Our mission is to work in partnership with others to equip children with the skills, attitudes and qualifications needed to secure successful careers and to become responsible adults in the future.”

The conference was organised by Gail Widerman, Director of Placing Futures Ltd, a partner of the D2N2’s Employability Framework, in association with Destination Chesterfield and funded through the Careers and Enterprise Company and D2N2.

Gail Widerman commented:-

“We work with both schools and businesses and more and more employers are telling us that they want work ready young people. I am delighted that so many schools and businesses came on board with Chesterfield’s first Employability Skills Conference and are taking a joint approach to finding a solution and giving young people a very real future in industry.”

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager explained:-

“The conference brought together the education and business communities to address the perceived and real skills gaps before they become an issue. With more than £1billion of investment happening in Chesterfield over the next 10 years it is vital that our young people are work ready and have the skills that employers want. Having a pool of work ready employees is one of the key reasons businesses invest in an area and create jobs.”

At the conference Made in Chesterfield, the annual month-long celebration of the town’s manufacturing and engineering sector organised by Destination Chesterfield, was praised for bringing schools and employers together. A call was also made for business people to get involved with governor roles at local schools.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Sparks fly for Tupton Hall students during Made in Chesterfield

28th November 2016

Aspiring engineers from Tupton Hall School experienced the sights and sounds of a cast iron production plant when they visited United Cast Bar (UCB) in Chesterfield.

The trip was part of November’s Made in Chesterfield festival which celebrates the local manufacturing industry.

Eleven Year 8 students donned goggles and hi-vis vests for a guided tour of UBC’s foundry, offices, storage yard and even the boardroom. The company manufactures cast iron bar for use in heavy machinery, wind turbines, submarines, aerospace and more.

The tour was conducted by David Beet, UCB’s relationship manager. He has worked in the steel industry for all of his life and has been at UCB for the last 15 years.

One student, Nathan Hawkins, said:-

“The trip was great. In the foundry where the bars are actually produced we saw the molten iron being poured into casts and we could hear it sizzling.

“When the cast iron bars came out of the machines they were glowing yellowy-orange and we could feel the heat.”

Students were told that UCB holds the world record for producing cast iron bar with the largest diameter measuring 750mm x 550mm.

Another student, Max Mogford, said:-

“I liked seeing how huge the machinery is. The furnace was absolutely massive and it lit up the whole room when it was pouring. There were some huge fork-lift trucks in the yard too.

“It was interesting to hear that they import raw iron from other countries because we don’t mine iron in the UK any more, and how the finished product is shipped to customers all over the world.”

Both Nathan and Max agreed that the trip was interesting and that they would recommend it to other students next year.

Nathan added:-

“We love design and technology lessons at school. This kind of trip makes you think about what you want to do when you’re older.”

Max continued:-

“I definitely want to be an engineer. David told us that engineers are in big demand and they need younger people to go into the industry to keep it running.”

The students returned to school full of excitement. Not only had they witnessed the exhilarating workings of an important industry, they were inspired to explore new career paths they had not previously considered.

To learn more about Made in Chesterfield visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/made/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Roll up, roll up for your Christmas bargains

28th November 2016

Christmas shoppers need look no further than Chesterfield markets for their festive food and presents this year.

Chesterfield Borough Council is holding extra markets in the run-up to Christmas with a variety of produce from local suppliers and special present ideas.

There will be a market taking place each day from Thursday 8 December until Christmas Eve, Saturday 24 December.

This will include the monthly farmers’ market on Thursday 8 December and the weekly flea market each Thursday.

There will also be a Christmas special Chesterfield artisan market on Sunday 18 December in association with The Market Co.

Since it began in spring 2015, the artisan market has attracted people with the very finest produce from local providers and also top-quality craft items.

Chesterfield Market Hall will be open each day, including Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 December – selected traders will be open on Sundays.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said:-

“Christmas shopping can be a bind for many families, running around trying to find the perfect presents and the finest food but people need look no further than Chesterfield town centre.

“Come along and support Chesterfield traders by shopping local in our markets, Market Hall and shops in Chesterfield town centre.”

Chesterfield borough residents can also take advantage of the residents’ free parking before 10am and after 3pm Monday to Saturday and all day on Sundays.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Christmas

More than £7m to tackle skills and jobs needs in D2N2 LEP area

25th November 2016

Projects to help people find work, to enable employers to plug skills gaps and for the area to retain highly-skilled graduates can now bid for more than £7million in funding, through the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

The financing is being provided through D2N2’s European Social Fund (ESF) allocation; itself part of the LEP’s wider €250milion in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which is being used to support a wide variety of business and economic growth activities over six years (up to 2020).

D2N2 is the private-sector led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, community and voluntary organisations, and others which promotes economic growth and creates job across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Amounts from D2N2’s € 250m in ESIF funding are being released at regular intervals, with ‘calls’ for potential projects run by organisations to bid for the money.

This latest ‘call’ is to support three projects – all three funded through D2N2’s ESF allocation of funding – which are entitled as follows:

Higher Skills Development – £4.7m to help the D2N2 LEP area retain more of its graduate talent, and create more business-based programmes to retain and develop them.
Enterprise, Innovation and Pathways – £1.4m to raise awareness of career opportunities and access to careers support, particularly for more disadvantaged groups who are not already covered by other European Social Fund-supported programmes; such as Building Better Opportunities, INSPIRE Local, CAREERS Local, EMPLOY Local and SKILLS Local.
Develop Sector Growth (focused support for SMEs in D2N2 LEP area growth sectors) – £1.1million for projects enhancing employers’ role in creating skills and training programmes in the D2N2 LEP area, which meet the needs of ‘skills gaps’ in companies’ workforces and help create new employment opportunities.

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:-

“Skills development lies at the heart of the D2N2 LEP’s Growth Strategy.

“Helping people gain skills which get them into work and then to develop knowledge which progresses their career is good for individuals, and the resulting pool of potential employees with the skills needed to plug gaps in their workforce is good for businesses.

“These three new initiatives, backed by £7.3million from D2N2’s European funding allocation, show the LEP’s commitment to skills development in its area and in getting business more involved with that.”

Organisations wishing to submit applications to any of the three funding calls above can find more information at the following website link www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds?keywords=&funding_source%5B%5D=european-social-fund

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Chesterfield Festival of Cricket fixtures announced

25th November 2016

Derbyshire Falcons will host more NatWest T20 Blast cricket than ever next summer.

Five limited overs fixtures will take place at the height of summer from end of July and into August, while local NatWest T20 Blast derbies against Notts Outlaws and Yorkshire Vikings have once again be handed prime dates

The Club is anticipating capacity crowds for both derbies, which starts with the local clash against Yorkshire Vikings on Saturday 8 July at Queen’s Park, which will bring the curtain down on the Custom Solar Chesterfield Festival of Cricket in association with Chesterfield Borough Council.

The Custom Solar Chesterfield Festival of Cricket will also include a traditional first-class fixture, with the Specsavers County Championship fixture against Durham taking place from Monday 3 July – Thursday 6 July.

Simon Storey, Chief Executive of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, said:

“We’re delighted that our local derbies have been given prime dates. We were close to capacity at both fixtures in 2016 and we hope that Members, supporters and local people will once again get behind our side and we can secure a double sell-out.

“The Yorkshire fixture also confirms our return to Queen’s Park next summer.

“Chesterfield Borough Council has conducted a full investigation into the waterlogged pitch issues we encountered in July and is undertaking maintenance work to fix the issues. Chesterfield is a special venue for cricket and we’re committed to returning to the beautiful Queen’s Park for years to come.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, added:-

“The Chesterfield Festival of Cricket is one of the highlights of our sporting calendar and we’re delighted that Derbyshire will be returning in 2017.

“After play was not possible last year, we conducted a thorough investigation into the issues around the waterlogged outfield.

“Whilst the level of rain was exceptional in 2016, we’ve identified areas of the drainage system that can be improved that will minimise any risk of a similar problem occurring again.

“Work will be ongoing during the winter period and more frequent and improved on-going inspections and maintenance will take place throughout the year and, in particular, in the run-up to the festival.

“We once again look forward to hosting the week-long event and welcoming people to our town, with the economic benefits that brings.

“The festival also provides the opportunity for hundreds of local school children to watch top-class cricket right on their doorstep and we hope it can inspire many to live active and healthy lives.”

Posted in About Chesterfield

Chesterfield named as a top UK retail hotspot

24th November 2016

Chesterfield is one of the top retail hotspots in the East Midlands according to a recent ranking of the top 100 retail locations in the UK compiled by Property Week, a leading news magazine in the commercial and residential property market.

The Hot 100 UK Retail Locations ranking was compiled by location experts CACI exclusively for the magazine and focused on areas that have the most potential for investors.

Chesterfield appeared at number 26 in the list, ahead of major cities such as Birmingham and Leeds and just behind Manchester at 25. This is the first year that Chesterfield has featured in the industry-significant report.

Already investment in Chesterfield’s retail and leisure offering is forecast next year with the redevelopment of the former Co-op on Elder Way and construction of the first phase of the Basin Square development at Chesterfield Waterside, which will feature hotels, restaurants and retail units.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, welcomed the report. He said: “Property Week is a significant industry publication read by national and international investors. Already there is £1bn worth of investment happening in the borough and major projects such as Peak Resort, Chesterfield Waterside and Markham Vale, however Chesterfield’s ranking as a top retail hot spot will bring the town further prominence and hopefully further increase our retail offering to residents and visitors.”

In recent years the town’s retail offering has risen to prominence amongst shoppers and investors after featuring in a report compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC) detailing the UK’s top 10 of towns and cities with the lowest shop vacancy rates.

Councillor John Burrows, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The High Street retail world is an extremely competitive marketplace due to the changes caused by the growth of online shopping. So it is pleasing that this report demonstrates that projects taking place in Chesterfield to strengthen our retail offer, such as the Healthy High Streets initiative, are having an impact. We will to continue to work hard with all our partners to ensure we can maintain this ranking in the future.”

Peter added: “This is excellent news to round off what has been and exciting year for Chesterfield. Not only is the town’s unemployment rate below the national average for the first time since records began, but work has started on major projects which will create further jobs and opportunity in the borough, making us a very attractive prospect to potential investors.”

CACI’s research for the Hot 100 ranking took into account a combination of headroom for future investment, residential catchment size, population growth, competition and catchment demographic to highlight the 100 locations across the UK that provide the biggest opportunities to investors. The ranking also considered how the population of each area is projected to increase or fall over the next 10 years.

Also taken into account are factors such as the affluence of a population – how much potential spend there is in a catchment area, rather than just how many people it contains; the number of people who work in an area and its appeal to tourists.

Find out more about shopping in Chesterfield

Find out more about the regeneration schemes and developments in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Apprentices bring medals back to Derbyshire from WorldSkills UK competition

24th November 2016

Talented automotive repair and refinishing apprentices and an engineering apprentice studying with Learning Unlimited, part of the Chesterfield College group, have brought two gold and one silver medal back to Derbyshire after competing in WorldSkills UK during the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC last week.

After qualifying in regional heats, the apprentices took part in a gruelling three day competition designed to put their skills to the test, under the watchful eye of industry experts. During the event, 500 young people demonstrated 61 different skills in the competition which has been described as the ‘Olympic games of skills’.

Automotive Body Repair Apprentice, Shawn Dyson, working at Chartwell in Derby, and Automotive Refinishing Apprentice, Mike Massey, working at Alton Cars in Ashbourne won gold medals in the competition.

Sam Sibert, an engineering apprentice working at BG Engineering in Chesterfield won a silver medal after competing with the best of the best engineering apprentices from across the UK.

Stuart Cutforth, Principal of Chesterfield College, said:-

“It is fantastic news that our apprentices have been so successful in such a high profile competition.

“It is testament to their commitment and drive to be the best they can be in their chosen career as well as the support and guidance they get from their employers and tutors that they can compete at this level.

“They showed professionalism and technical know-how in very tough conditions, something that I know will stand them in good stead for their future careers.”

The gold medal winners now have the chance to represent their country at WorldSkills International in Kazan, Russia 2019.

Posted in About Chesterfield

HS2 strategy sees thousands of jobs and £4billion extra for regional economy

21st November 2016

Around 74,000 jobs could be created and £4billion added to the East Midlands’ economy if a planned HS2 high speed rail line is routed through the region, says a new report on the major project.

Phase 2 of the national HS2 high speed rail network plans for a western (Crewe to Manchester) and an eastern leg (West Midlands to Leeds). The eastern leg includes a regional HS2 ‘rail hub’ at Toton, Nottinghamshire, and a network maintenance depot at Staveley, near Chesterfield; and the western leg (towards Manchester) will bring associated benefits to north Derbyshire.

The Government announced on November 15 it would be taking the Phase 2 proposals forward as its preferred route. Further public consultation will be needed but if the route receives planning permission it could be operational by 2033.

An initial East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy report – launched November 18 – estimates the HS2 plans could create an extra 74,000 jobs in the East Midlands and add £4billion to the region’s economy by 2042, around ten years after trains begin running.

The East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy report details what the proposed HS2 regional route could do for the study area, which has a population of 3.15million and contains 109,000 businesses. Advantages laid out in the publication include:

74,000 new jobs (both directly related to HS2 and indirectly, such as supply chain companies) in a wide range of sectors; including local rail sector firms but also companies connected with engineering, manufacturing, construction, real estate and logistics.
Quicker regional rail journeys, as HS2 removes some of the pressure from the current rail network, and faster connections between East Midlands’ cities and main towns and other parts of the UK. For example, Nottingham to London in 68 minutes (current average 104 minutes), Derby to Leeds in 50 minutes (current average 77) and Leicester to Newcastle in 142 minutes (current average 205).

Further advantages for Chesterfield include:

A regional HS2 maintenance depot at Staveley, five miles north-east of Chesterfield, to serve Midlands’ HS2 lines. This site would also see the remediation of around 150 hectares of brownfield land; to create space for 1,500 homes and 30 hectares of employment land, with the site supporting up to 800 new jobs.
Potential for enhanced economic benefits, from linking of the HS2 plans for the Chesterfield area into the new proposed growth strategy for northern and central Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire; and from the increased connectivity this will bring between the area and points east and west.
Opportunities for passengers to get on/off high-speed services at Chesterfield Station would boost the local economy and increase north Derbyshire’s attractiveness for businesses looking to set-up, expand or relocate.

Councillor Anne Western, Leader of Derbyshire County Council and Vice-Chair of East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board, added:-

“The benefits are clear. Routing HS2 through the East Midlands would boost the local economy, bring more jobs and provide opportunities for local businesses to expand.

“We’re continuing to work with HS2 Ltd to maximise economic benefit, while minimising the disruption to communities; and making sure we get the best possible outcome for Derbyshire residents, businesses and others along the route.”

Posted in About Chesterfield

Across the board growth for Mitchells triggers five new appointments

18th November 2016

Following across-the-board business growth of 20 per cent in 2016, Chesterfield-based Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, has made five new appointments.

Chartered Accountant and Sheffield University graduate Emily Coy strengthens the firm’s corporate team. She joins from a local accountancy firm and brings a broad range of experience in a wide variety of business sectors to her new role at Mitchells.

Commenting on her appointment, Emily, who is originally from Somerset, said:-

“The opportunity to join a well-respected and large firm, yet still be hands-on and involved with my own portfolio of clients, attracted me to the role at Mitchells.”

Vaughan Carr from Chesterfield also joins the firms as an AAT accredited Senior Accountant. Alongside Emily, his appointment supports Mitchells’ current growth while a further three new appointments will support future business development and the firm’s commitment to developing talent from within the firm.

Connie Shaw, from Sheffield joins as an AAT Apprentice and Mathew Nutt from Owlthorpe joins as a Tax and Employer Solutions Apprentice, working with Mitchells’ Small Business and Tax and Payroll teams respectively.

Completing the new appointment line-up is Abigail Chadburn, who joins from Sheffield Hallam University on a 12-month undergraduate placement and will be supporting Mitchells’ Corporate Services team.

The addition of Auto Enrolment services to Mitchells’ portfolio last year has contributed to the firm’s growth and also helped enable the firm to attract new clients.

Mitchells has also experienced significant growth in its corporate business, working with current high growth clients and attracting new clients who are looking to access finance and grant funding.

Over the last eighteen months, Mitchells has secured in excess of £75 million for businesses across Derbyshire, including Chesterfield-based care home group Hill Care, which the firm secured a £26 million finance package earlier this year to enable it to expand the business further nationally.

Richard Trueman, Managing Partner of Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, commenting on the new appointments and firm’s strong performance in 2016, said:-

“Mitchells goes into 2017 in impressive shape. We have an excellent team made stronger by our recent appointments. We are now looking to make further senior appointments within the firm during 2017.”

The recent appointments recognise Mitchells’ commitment to ensuring over capacity in employee numbers to ensure its staff have a work/life balance. This commitment, alongside its investment in staff training and development, led to Mitchells being shortlisted for the People Development Awards in the 2016 East Midlands Chamber and Derbyshire Times Business Awards earlier this year.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Toby Perkins backs college request to increase investment in further education

18th November 2016

Toby Perkins MP visited Chesterfield College today and pledged his support for a call to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase investment in further education when he makes his Autumn Statement on 23rd November.

As a member of the Association of Colleges, Chesterfield College has joined other further education providers from across the country urging the Government to ensure the provision of high quality technical and professional education and training can continue to meet local needs.

At a time when student numbers are rising but funding is forecast to fall, the Association of Colleges is urging for spending on education and training to increase from 4.5% to 5% of GDP. They point out this will help to train more teachers in maths, engineering, and health and care, for example. Publicly-funded further education and sixth form colleges are also currently subject to VAT. They believe that on the day that the UK leaves the EU, this must stop.

Stuart Cutforth, Principal of Chesterfield College highlighted the crucial role the college plays in making sure local businesses can recruit employees from Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire with the skills they need at the same time as improving the life chances of local residents. He said:-

“Colleges are at the forefront of providing a skilled workforce as well as inspiring futures and changing the lives of the students who we work with. Without investment in further education our ability to do that will be seriously compromised and local people will be seriously disadvantaged.

“I want to see this college, where I was inspired to follow the career path I love, to carry on making a difference to people and businesses in the area for many more years. That is why we are asking the Chancellor to consider how crucial his decisions are to current and future students.”

Toby Perkins MP said:-

“Britain’s future depends on improving productivity, where we lag behind our competitors. This needs a skilled workforce and investment in infrastructure.

“Colleges are crucial in providing the skills Britain needs but Further Education has borne the brunt of huge cuts.

“I hope the Chancellor will listen to this plea for the shot in the arm Chesterfield College needs.”

Posted in About Chesterfield