About Chesterfield

Sculpture to transform Hornsbridge Roundabout

Work to transform a key gateway into Chesterfield town centre is set to begin after planning permission was granted by Chesterfield Borough Council.

An eight metre-high sculpture by local artist Melanie Jackson will start to be installed at Hornsbridge Roundabout from July with completion expected by the end of the year.

The design, which was voted for by residents and Chesterfield Champions, features a wheel, or cog, integrated into the landscape showing the borough’s industrial heritage with an opening bud or flower rising out of the centre.

Councillor John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Leader and Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “It’s good that work is about to start on Hornsbridge island.

“This is a key gateway into Chesterfield when you drive into the town centre from the M1 or when coming into or leaving the town by train and is a great opportunity to showcase what is great about Chesterfield.”

John Dillon, Managing Director at Barratt Homes North Midlands, said: “Community investment is extremely important to us as a company and we are really excited to be involved in a project which promises to have such a significant impact on the landscape of the town itself.”

The project has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Barratt Homes.  This funding can only be used to make environmental improvements to install public art at key sites and entry points to the town centre.

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

More than 1000 entries for Chesterfield Marathon

A 67-year-old man from Clay Cross has become the 1,000th person to sign up for the Chesterfield Marathon.

John Edward Bee, a former member of North Derbyshire Running Club, will take part in the 26-mile distance event on September 14.  While an experienced runner, it will be the first full marathon for John, who has taken part in a number of half marathons, 10km and 5km races in the past.

John said: “I’m hopeful I can finish the full distance, but whether I can run all the way is another matter!  It’s really all about taking part and showing support for charity.  I just really hope I can finish before everyone else has gone home!

“I was going to keep entering the Chesterfield Marathon a secret from the running club’s members, but I may need to rethink that now! It’s great to be the 1000th entry.”

Daniel Lane, Landlord of John’s local pub, the George and Dragon in Clay Cross, has already offered him a generous sponsorship amount, which John is aiming to at least match as his own sponsorship target.

Daniel added: “John has taken part in the pub’s own charity event – the ‘Dragon Run’ – a five-mile annual race in and around the Clay Cross area for a number of years.  John is yet to be beaten in that race, despite his humble attitude towards his own running ability. We have every confidence he will do very well in the Chesterfield Marathon.”

The Chesterfield Marathon is set to be one of the biggest participant events in the town for more than 30 years. It is in aid of children’s charity Kids ‘n’ Cancer, along with other local charities.

Mike Hyman, founder of Kids ‘n’ Cancer and the Chesterfield Marathon, says: “We are delighted to pass the 1,000th entry milestone for the race.  Interest in the event is really growing with entrants coming in daily.  It should be a fantastic day for Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.”

Runners can take part in a full marathon, half marathon, fun run and a relay race, where four competitors take a share of the course.

In addition to the races, fun activities will be taking place at Queen’s Park throughout the day.  The Chesterfield and Derbyshire Marathon post-race celebrations kick off straight after the fun run finishes with entertainment and live bands managed by Red Butterfly, John Proctor fairground rides, an inflatable arena and sport fun with Premier Sports. The day will finish with a finale of fireworks by Pyrotex award winning professional firework displays.

Entry into the events costs £45 (full marathon) £35 (half marathon) £100 (relay) and £5 (fun run) and anyone raising £200 for Kids ‘n’ Cancer can gain free entry.

To sign-up for the Chesterfield Marathon visitwww.chesterfieldmarathon.co.uk.

Source:Released on behalf of Kids ‘N’ Cancer by HR Media Ltd

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield

Music fans flock to the Proact

Thousands of music fans enjoyed two fabulous concerts last weekend at Chesterfield FC’s Proact Stadium.

Legendary Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones, who was supported by Andrew Cole and Toploader, attracted a crowd of 12,253 on Saturday night while Party at the Proact the following day was attended by 5,495 people.

Sir Tom Jones belted out a string of his hits from over the decades in a set lasting around 90 minutes.  Celebrating his 74th birthday on the day of the concert, he told the audience that being on stage singing was the best way to mark the occasion.

Party at the Proact was opened by Tich at around 4.30pm on Sunday and featured superb performances from Ms Dynamite, Union J, Katy B, Lawson and Labrinth before headline act Tinie Tempah closed the show.

Spireites Chairman Dave Allen was delighted to hear such positive feedback from those who attended the shows.  He said: “I thought Tom Jones was outstanding and the fans clearly enjoyed his performance. The mainly younger audience at Party at the Proact were also thoroughly entertained for over five and a half hours.

“Many people have praised the organisation of both events – including the conference and banqueting side – and commented on the great acoustics.  Following on from the success of the Elton John concert two years ago, the Proact is establishing a reputation as being a superb venue for live music featuring some top acts.”

Photograph courtesy of Jamie Whitehouse.

Source:Chesterfield Football Club

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

Duke of Devonshire officially opens Chesterfield Market Hall

Chesterfield Market Hall has been officially re-opened by the Duke of Devonshire.

The market hall underwent a £4.3 million redevelopment last year and traders returned in October.

The main retail hall was opened up and transformed by the installation of a glazed atrium above first floor level providing natural light and the 1970s extension on New Square was redesigned to be more in keeping with the original market hall.

In addition to providing a modern and colourful shopping mall downstairs there are 20 offices on the first and second floors, alongside the historic Assembly Rooms, which were also refurbished.

The project was paid for by £2.1 million of grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heritage Lottery and the Derbyshire Economic Partnership, with the remaining cost being met by Chesterfield Borough Council.

As he unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening, the Duke of Devonshire, said: “What a tremendous achievement to manage the market hall in a commercial way but in the interests of everyone who lives and works in Chesterfield.

“It’s the beating heart of this great town – and means that Chesterfield will have even more appeal to visitors. Jobs have been created and it is something to be very proud of.”

Councillor John Burrows, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I am proud that at a time of cuts, when many councils have been forced to scale down their markets, we have been able to invest in the market hall and the independent traders who have a key role to play in the success of Chesterfield.”

Around half of the £4.3 million cost was spent on refurbishing the historic Assembly Rooms on the first floor of the market hall building and creating a suite of around 20 offices on the first and second floors.

The market hall has 43 retail units, of which 91 per cent have already been let.  Many of the previous stall holders in the market hall have returned, along with some new businesses.

The original market hall offices have been updated and all nine of these have been let. The new studio offices on the first floor have also all been let.

The Duke of Devonshire said: “One of the businesses I have spoken to today has taken on 16 people since moving here. Success stories like that can only be good for the town.”

Photo caption: The Duke of Devonshire (right) with Chesterfield Borough Council leader, Councillor John Burrows, and the plaque to mark the official reopening of Chesterfield Market Hall.

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

Increase in jobs at Markham Vale development

The latest jobs figures for Markham Vale have been revealed – with a further 200 still to come.

The site, which is situated next to junction 29A of the M1, is currently home to 28 businesses and has so far helped to create 565 jobs – an increase of 208 on the previous year.

Councillor Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport, said:

“We are delighted that Markham Vale is going from strength to strength and helped to create many jobs in the last year for local people.

“We are committed to building a strong Derbyshire economy that creates jobs and grows businesses and Markham Vale plays a key role in helping us achieve this.

“The long-term aim is to help create 5,000 jobs and we will continue to work hard to attract more companies to reach this goal.”

New businesses which have recently opened or are set to in the next few months will help to create an extra 200 jobs.

These include Northern Ireland’s biggest egg processor Ready Egg Products which is developing a manufacturing facility and Derbyshire food company Holdsworth which set up a base on Markham Vale four years ago and is building a new warehouse and cold store.

And thanks to funding of £14.2 million from the Government and £12.5m from the county council’s private sector developer Henry Boot Developments Ltd, work has started to unlock a further 81 acres of land on the former Seymour Colliery site.

The work is expected to generate £82 million of private sector investment and create capacity to bring an estimated 2,100 jobs to the area.

Source:Derbyshire County Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Free workshop to help local businesses get online

Chesterfield businesses are being given the chance to learn first-hand from the experts and set up their own website, in a free workshop being delivered by Chesterfield Champion Magnifica, a leading software agency.

The workshop, organised by Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council’s Innovation Support Project, will be held on Wednesday 21st May, at Dunston Innovation Centre, from 9.30am-12.30pm, with lunch included.

The workshop is available to any Chesterfield business, with up to two participants each.  It comprises of one three hour session, focusing on learning digital codes with the end of the session seeing participants build their own webpage.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, said: “The course is all part of our commitment to help small businesses in Chesterfield thrive and develop.  It’s not just about having a high street presence or office addresses any more.  It’s about having a strong online presence too.  The workshop, which is being delivered by experts in the field, will give people simple and practical skills to help them do exactly this.”

Chesterfield based Magnifica offers a range of services including web design, ecommerce websites, content management systems, mobile ready apps and bespoke software development.

Rob Gregory, Magnifica’s Co-founder said: “Coding isn’t just about sitting in front of a computer.  In fact, today code is everywhere in both our personal and business lives. Knowing a bit about how to code will give you a unique perspective on understanding and solving all sorts of problems.  It will also give you the confidence to communicate with software people, if and when you need to in the future.”

For more information or to register for the workshop visit:http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/websites

Source:Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Your town needs you! The call goes out for more Chesterfield Ambassadors

Chesterfield is on the hunt for more ambassadors to help promote the town and provide a warm welcome to visitors to the town.

The Chesterfield Ambassadors scheme was established by Destination Chesterfield more than two years ago. Since then it has recruited nearly 150 volunteer residents and front line staff, including taxi drivers, bank workers, sales assistants, council staff and members of the town’s thriving food and drink sector. Together they ensure visitors to the town leave with a positive impression of Chesterfield.

Becoming a Chesterfield Ambassador is simple and involves attending a free two-hour workshop on Thursday 22nd May to learn all about the town and its regeneration plans.

John Burrows, Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield and Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said: “The Chesterfield Ambassadors Scheme plays an important role in the continuing growth and success of Chesterfield. Every visitor to our town could be a potential investor, new resident or employee and it’s important that they receive the very best first impression. We want them to return and recommend Chesterfield to their friends, relatives and colleagues.

“Anyone who cares about the future of Chesterfield will find the Ambassador role very rewarding and we’d love them to get in touch and become one of the town’s promoters.”

To reserve your place please visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/ambassadors

Source:Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

More jobs created at Markham Vale

A new development in Chesterfield is helping to boost the local economy.

Euro Garages, one of the leading UK independent forecourt operators, is due to open at Markham Vale next week, bringing more than 60 new jobs to the area.

Facilities will include a new Shell petrol forecourt including for HGVs, SPAR convenience store, Subway, Greggs and a Starbucks Drive-Thru together with public toilets, seating area and a free cash machine. The Shell petrol forecourt and Subway will be open 24 hours a day.

Councillor Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport, said:

“It is great news that Euro Garages has decided to set up at Markham bringing another 63 jobs to the area and we are pleased we were able to help unemployed people find work at the new site, including young people.

“Markham Vale is going from strength to strength attracting more companies to Derbyshire because of the site’s location in the centre of England and its excellent transport links.”

Ilyas Munshi, Commercial Director at Euro Garages, said:

“Markham Vale Services is an exciting addition to our national estate portfolio of nearly 180 forecourt retail sites and it is the first development where we have partnered up with Henry Boot Developments.

“Euro Garages have been actively supported by stakeholders including Derbyshire County Council and local agencies with a view to delivering much needed jobs and economic prosperity. In summary, we want local people and commuters in and around Derbyshire to have access to world-class facilities.”

We have invested £77 million to reclaim the former mining area at Markham, between Chesterfield and Bolsover, with the long term aim of creating 5,000 jobs.

Working with development partner Henry Boot Development Limited, in the last year alone we have lined-up developments promising to bring 500 jobs to the site.

Vivienne Clements, Director of Henry Boot Developments comments:

“The opening of Euro Garages at Markham Vale is the next piece of the jigsaw in delivering a comprehensive offer for existing and new occupiers together with their work force.”

Last month the Government announced plans to expand Markham Vale Enterprise Zone bringing enterprise status to another 18 hectares of land on Markham Vale and offering benefits for businesses setting up in the area including tax breaks from Government.

And in February, Markham Vale received a £14.2m boost after successfully bidding for Government cash to open up prime economic development land.

Source:Derbyshire County Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Next phase of Staveley Basin development underway

Staveley Basin’s next phase of development has begun with contractors currently on site working to build wing walls to support the basin’s lock bridge.

Derbyshire County Council, which manages the project, has agreed to fund £89,000 towards the scheme, with Chesterfield Canal Trust contributing £76,000 in funds and volunteer time.

Ace Developments from Chesterfield has started an eight week contract to build the wing walls which will support the unfinished lock bridge already in place ready to carry a road over the canal.

The Staveley Basin project is part of work being completed with the help of volunteers to restore and improve Chesterfield Canal; making more of the waterway navigable.

The project has already seen the development of a mooring basin which can house up to 20 large canal boats and 12 smaller crafts.

Councillor Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport said:-

“This latest work on the Staveley Basin project is part of plans to help develop Chesterfield Canal as well as improve the area for visitors and boats. The work of the volunteers helping us to develop the project has been fantastic and we cannot thank them enough.”

Groups who have been involved in helping the project include the Chesterfield Canal Partnership and the Waterway Recovery Group.

Chesterfield Canal Trust, which has also been helping since 2012, has raised over £45,000 towards the project through donations.

A group of around 15 volunteers from the trust meet every Sunday to help build the lock at Staveley Basin.

George Bunting, 65, from Brimington has been a member of the trust since 1995 and is currently helping with construction.  He said:-

“The main benefits of the work at Staveley Basin will be the boost it gives tourism with people who come in on boats hopefully spending money in Staveley.  The thing I most enjoy about volunteering is the camaraderie and the idea that we are achieving something for the local community and leaving something for future generations.”

(Image courtesy of Chesterfield Canal Trust

Source:Derbyshire County Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Hopes for leisure centre funding boost

A grant application of more than £1 million will be made by Chesterfield Borough Council to fund extra facilities at the proposed new Queen’s Park Sports Centre.

An expression of interest to Sport England’s Strategic Facilities Fund has been successful and the council has now been formally invited to submit a full application.

A decision on whether the bid will be successful or not is expected to be made by Sport England’s board in the summer.

If funding is granted, it will enable the council to add extra facilities requested by users, the public and sports groups during the public consultations.

This could include increasing the number of lanes in the swimming pool from six to eight and adding two more courts to create an eight court sports hall, which would enable a wider range of sporting activities to take place at the same time.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s executive member for leisure, culture and tourism, said:-

“We said from day one of this project that we would be seeking to make grant applications that could enable us to add more facilities as soon as we were at the stage in the process that enables us to do this.

“The application will have to be considered by Sport England against other worthy bids so there are no guarantees of success.

“But we are pleased that Sport England recognised the local importance of this project and its potential to contribute to their community sport objectives when they supported us in the expressions of interest stage of the process.

“We believe we can put forward a really good and convincing bid as the grant would enable us to deliver an even better leisure centre that inspires more Chesterfield residents to get fit, active and healthy.”

Sport England’s Strategic Facilities Fund offers grants of up to £2 million for local authority projects that bring together multiple partners, including input from the public and private sectors. The fund is also designed to encourage applicants and their partners to invest further capital and revenue funding to ensure sustainability.

It is expected a decision on the planning application for the replacement Queen’s Park Sports Centre can be made within the next couple of months.

If the bid to Sport England is successful the grant funding would be added to the money already committed to the building by Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield College.

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

New business centre and community park for Chesterfield

The first phase of the £3.8m restoration programme at Staveley Hall is nearing completion.

This follows several years of hard work from the Heart of Staveley Project, set up to transform the semi-derelict building and its historic walled garden into a centre focused on community, education, heritage and arts activities.

The project is creating Staveley Hall Business Centre, which will provide up to 70 jobs, as well as restoring the historic walled garden – transforming it into a town centre community park.

The first phase of the project, the revival of the stable block, will open in early June 2014, with office space available for 11 small businesses.  

Once complete in June 2015, Staveley Hall will also provide space for another 7 businesses to be located on the upper floors, with meeting rooms and a café on the ground floor.

The Heart of Staveley, which was launched in 2008, has so far secured £3.4m towards the cost of the £3.8 million project and there is a robust fundraising strategy in place to raise the remaining balance.

Funding has come from a range of charitable grant giving trusts including the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.  Staveley Town Council has also borrowed £750,000 from the Public Works Loans Board.

It is envisaged that Staveley Town Council will ratify the tender price in July 2014 and take a 33 year lease of the Hall and walled garden once work has been completed.

A small team of staff will be appointed, led by a hall manager and administrator, heritage and education officer, head gardener and volunteer coordinator who will be supported by up to 50 volunteers.

There are also plans for a garden team of 20 which will be established to work with the head gardener to restore the garden and then maintain it as a community park, based on the historic 17th Century structure, for the local community.

An public event is to be held at Staveley Hall on 15 April 2014 (4pm – 8pm) to provide an explanation of proposals, to seek support and start to create a team of volunteers.  Representatives of Staveley Town Council, the Heart of Staveley and the professional team will be available to explain the scheme and answer any queries.

Tours of the stable block will be available for those who are interested.  For more information please contact Staveley Town Council on 01246 473132.

Source:Staveley Town Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development