About Chesterfield

Chesterfield gains two new major retailers

Chesterfield has welcomed two major retailers to the town in the space of just one week.  Toys r’ Us opened its doors on Thursday (20th October) and on the same day, Debenhams confirmed it is to have a store on the Ravenside Retail Park.

The new 62,000 square foot Debenhams store will be located on the old Focus unit and is expected to open in autumn 2012.  As part of the development there will be improvements made to the entrances and pedestrian crossing points into the Ravenside Retail Park.

Cllr John Burrows, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said: “Attracting major retailers such as Debenhams and Toys r’ Us is a great achievement for Chesterfield and a significant step forward in our ambition to attract inward investment and create jobs for local people. It’s further evidence that Chesterfield is bouncing back and with the Market Hall and Northern Gateway still to come we’ve an exciting time ahead for the town.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “This is fantastic news for Chesterfield and reflects the strength of the retail sector within the town and the fact that we are an attractive destination for investors and visitors.  We only have around 5% of our shops vacant which, compared to a national average of 13%, is exceptional for a town our size.”

Rob Hadfield, Head of Property at Debenhams said: “The Ravenside Retail Park is an ideal location for us.  It’s within the town centre shopping area and close to the major road routes coming into Chesterfield.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming local residents to the store and reaching a wider audience from surrounding districts which I’m sure will have a positive impact on other retailers in the town.”

Source:Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

It’s official – Casa have the comfiest beds in the UK!

Casa Hotel in Chesterfield is delighted to announce that they have been awarded the ‘Comfiest Bed’ in the annual Best Kept Secret Awards by the discount hotels specialist, LateRooms.com.

The annual Best Kept Secret Awards search up and down the country for top notch facilities in the hospitality industry!

The LateRooms.com judge of the Comfiest Bed award said:

“Casa hotel in Chesterfield is our winner for Comfiest Bed. Their reviews are glowing for the beds (and the hotel in general) – the fact that they’re King Size too is an added bonus!”

Steve Perez, Owner of Casa Hotel, said: “Our Hypnos beds are always the hot topic of conversation at breakfast time and we constantly receive positive comments about it being the best night’s sleep our guests have ever had. To have an official award to celebrate that Casa is home to the best beds in the UK is a fantastic achievement and one I hope will bring many more visitors through the door to try them out.”

LateRooms.com receieved thousands of entries from hoteliers and hotel fans around the UK, and shortlisted the ‘Best Kept Secret’ award categories according to number of nominations. The judges, made up of media partners and prestigious LateRooms.com hotel experts, then deliberated long and hard to pick the eventual winners.

LateRooms.com Offline Marketing Manager, Lynda Matthews commented, “Discovering the UK’s Best Kept Secrets is always an exciting time for us. These hotels really are the crème de la crème in their industry offering beautiful food, views, interiors and services to their customers and we are proud to have them on LateRooms.com. We hope that this year’s search will once again bring our customers new hotel possibilities, whatever it is they are looking for from their hotel stay”.

Source:Casa Hotel

Posted in About Chesterfield, Visiting

National recognition for Chesterfield’s regeneration

Two of Chesterfield’s regeneration sites have reached the final stages in the prestigious Regeneration and Renewal Awards.

Chesterfield Borough Council put forward the development of the old Dema Glass site and the A61/River Rother Corridor for an award.  There were over 400 entries into this year’s awards and Chesterfield has secured two places in the finals.  The judges will visit the sites on Friday 8th July with the winners being announced at an awards ceremony in September.

Cllr John Burrows, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said: “We’re obviously delighted to have reached the finals in these national awards.  It’s a testament to the hard work of Council officers, our partners and developers that we have already had such great success with the Dema Glass site.

The development along the A61 corridor will be another exciting stage for the town and we’re looking forward to showing our plans to the judges when they come to visit.”

The Dema Glass site, which features the B2Net Stadium and the Tesco Extra Superstore has been entered into the award for “mixed-use development of the year”.  The A61/River Rother Corridor which includes the Chesterfield Waterside development, the new BMW and Mini showrooms, the Casa Hotel and the Dema Glass site has been entered into the Strategic Planning award category.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “Just reaching the finals in these awards is recognition of how much Chesterfield is regenerating into a great destination for residents, visitors, students and the business community. ”

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

The search is on to find the area’s top performers in commerce, business and industry.

The Derbyshire Times in association with main sponsor Destination Chesterfield has just launched its 2011 Business Awards, which aim to recognise and reward business excellence across all sectors, private and public.

Open to organisations of any size, based in the Derbyshire Times’ circulation area, entries are encouraged from those that feel they are working smarter than their competitors to create a business edge.

Entrants to the Derbyshire Times Business Awards may come from entering your own organisation for an award or by nominating a third party.

There are many benefits of entering, being shortlisted or winning an award; it not only motivates staff and increases customer confidence but also raises business profiles among potential customers.

Winners will be judged by an impartial number of well-respected business people within our community. Winners will receive a trophy and the right to use the awards logo on letterheads and marketing information.

The awards will be presented at a gala celebration evening to be held at Chesterfield Football Club, on November 17.

Following the huge success of last years awards, tables of 10 are now available for only £700 plus vat so why not reserve your table now.

Be there on the night to see local businesses recognised for their outstanding achievements. Enjoy a pre-dinner drink and canapés on arrival, followed by a four-course a la carte dinner with wine.

Make sure your organisation is represented at these prestigious awards. Tables for the ceremony will sell fast; to reserve a table for your organisation all you need to do is contact Emma Angell on 07801195407 or emailemma.angell@jpress.co.uk

Below is a full list of all the categories. For more information or to nominate a business, log onto website at www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk

Business Idea of the Year: This award will go to the company/person whose original idea has led to increased productivity within their business, led to a reduction in costs, or a development of their brands. We will be looking for evidence of how this idea reaped rewards for your business and how it has been implemented into your company.

Entrepreneur of the Year – Sponsored by Chesterfield Champion Barber Harrison & Platt: This award will go to the outstanding individual who can best demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership in the establishment and development of an owner-led business. The judges will look for clear identification of a market opportunity, innovation, growth and evidence of strong financial performance in terms of sales and profit growth.

Young Business Person of the Year –Sponsored by Chesterfield Champion Chesterfield College: This category encourages nominations from any business, team or organisation who feel they have a young person aged between 16 – 25 years, who has excelled in their field during 2010/2011.

Small Business of the Year: Open to organisations with 15 or less staff, this award will go to the company that best demonstrates significant growth and innovation in its market sector, underpinned by strong financial performance.

Business Personality of the Year: This category is for those at a managerial or executive level who have impressed a sense of their own unique personality on the business, bringing their own style to bear alongside a sense of leadership and commitment to the business which has made a quantifiable difference to the firm.

Team of the Year – Sponsored by Chesterfield Champion, DNCC: The Team of the year Award is open to outstanding management teams. Judges are looking for management teams that are truly go-ahead, enlightened, innovative, and forward-thinking.

Community Contribution of the Year: Through their commitment to the local area entrants for this award should show that they have actively supported the local community, schools or colleges. Entrants for Community Involvement will be measured on their specific participation and not purely upon financial support.

The Environment Award – Sponsored By Chesterfield Champion, Chesterfield Waterside: Entrants to this category must show examples of what innovative action the company has taken towards a low carbon economy.

Customer Service Award – Sponsored By Franke Sissons: This award will go to the organisation which can best demonstrate that it has the customer at the heart of its business.

Most InnovativeProperty/Building Development: This may include the regeneration or redevelopment of an existing building – or be a completely new project. The judges are looking for how the development may have taken into consideration any existing structures and features and its eventual suitability for purpose.

The Manufacturing Award – Sponsored by Chesterfield Champion,  Natwest Bank: The winner of this award will need to demonstrate a modern, efficient and innovative approach to manufacturing, including a commitment to the excellence and development of its products and services, whilst reaching new markets.

Healthy Workplace Award – Sponsored by Derbyshire PCT: This award recognises employers who go that extra mile to look after the health of their staff and promote healthy living throughout the business.

Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Vidbo: This award focuses on companies in the retails business and highlights the relationship with the general public on a day to day basis. Entrants should show high levels of customer service as well as an innovative approach in building the strength of the business, Outlining their approach to branding and presentation within the store plus details of how the company has grown over recent years as well as any plans or ideas to help grow the business over the next few years

Lifetime Achievement – Sponsored by Chesterfield Champion, Banner Jones: Open to an individual or team of people who can demonstrate that they have had a major impact on their business and Chesterfield as a town over a number of years, enhancing the community through their work and having a long-term business success.

2011 Business of the Year – Sponsored By Chesterfield Champion, Chesterfield Borough Council: This award is the ultimate accolade for all our entrants and the winner will be chosen from each of the category winners.

The judges will be looking for the company/person who has shown the most enterprise, passion and drive

Source:Derbyshire Times

Posted in About Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

It’s Destination Chesterfield for College students

Forming part of their course, the students have been promoting Chesterfield across the local areas of the College’s three campuses, explaining just how much there is to do in the town such as places to eat, play sport and shop. As part of the drive the students put up posters, handed out flyers and manned information desks all in a bid to raise the awareness of the amount of things to do in Chesterfield.

Dom Stevens of Destination Chesterfield said “Destination Chesterfield are pleased to be working with Chesterfield College’s Travel and Tourism students, it is a great opportunity for them to use the skills they are developing to promote the place they live or study in and to raise awareness of what is happening in the town. The students have been enthusiastically promoting things to do, shopping and places to eat and drink as well as the future development sites and the Chesterfielduk facebook and twitter pages to not only fellow students but visitors to the College as well.”

Source:Chesterfield College & Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

50 not out for Chesterfield Champions Scheme

The Cricket Club has played first-class cricket at Queen’s Park since 1898 and made an eagerly awaited return to the picturesque venue in 2006. Since then they have brought first-class cricket to Chesterfield as well as working within the local community to promote involvement in sport.

The original five year contract with Chesterfield Borough Council came to an end in 2010 and a five year deal has been struck to secure more Derbyshire fixtures at the ground until 2015.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said “We are delighted to welcome Derbyshire County Cricket Club as our 50th Champion and look forward to working in partnership with the club promoting Chesterfield as a sporting destination.”

“Our champions range from sole traders to multi national companies and we want to involve any trade or company who is of the view, as we are that raising the profile of Chesterfield will benefit their business and the development of the town.”

Derbyshire County Cricket Club Chief Executive Keith Loring said: “We are proud to bring first-class cricket to Chesterfield each year and delighted to become a partner in the Champions scheme.”

“With our historical connection to the town through cricket and the massive enjoyment coming to Chesterfield brings to our players, staff, sponsors and supporters, we certainly believe it to be a place worthy of championing.”

“Our Festival of Cricket in August will bring six days of cricket to Queen’s Park including a Clydesdale Bank 40 local derby against Yorkshire Carnegie.”

Destination Chesterfield, funded through money from the European Regional Development Fund, is helping to improve the economic prosperity of the town through a campaign to promote Chesterfield as a modern contemporary destination. This new approach to promoting the town sees the local business community playing a central role in its success by leading an independent board of Directors for Destination Chesterfield, and businesses pledging their support to become Chesterfield Champions.

Further information about the Destination Chesterfield project and the Chesterfield Champions Scheme can be found at www.chesterfield.co.ukand details of Derbyshire County Cricket Clubs 2011 fixtures can be found atwww.derbyshireccc.com

Source:Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield

Top planners highlight regeneration in Chesterfield

Top planners highlight regeneration in Chesterfield

Some of Britain’s top planners visited Chesterfield on Friday (11th Feb) putting the spotlight on the contribution the profession has made to regenerating the Borough in a tour which encompassed Chesterfield Waterside, the old Dema Glass site, the Casa Hotel and the town centre.

Warmly welcomed by the Mayor of Chesterfield, Councilor Keith Morgan and Mike Hayden, the Council’s Head of Regeneration, the group included Richard Summers, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Trudi Elliott RTPI Chief Executive, and James Carpenter, Chairman of the RTPI East Midlands Region.

Richard Summers, President of the RTPI said: “The progress with urban and rural regeneration in and around Chesterfield is very exciting. I was delighted to meet some of the planners and councillors who are involved in the imaginative projects that are helping to turn Chesterfield round from the mining and manufacturing industries of the past to a modern service-based economy. They are achieving a new and vigorous sense of place with a variety of memorable new buildings and regeneration projects.”

Cllr Ray Russell, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said: “It was a privilege have the President and members of the RTPI visit the recent developments made in Chesterfield. Everyone was very impressed with the work done to date and our plans for further regeneration to make Chesterfield a modern contemporary destination.”

Check out the regeneration schemes in Chesterfield

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

First Champions Meeting at ‘Casa’

The first Chesterfield Champions meeting took place in December at Chesterfield’s first four star hotel, Casa. The event was attended by over 50 businesses who were champions or interested in the scheme.

The event included a breakfast and networking session plus a personal presentation from Steve Perez on his investment in The Casa and his commitment to growing his business in Chesterfield. Local busineeses attending were one of the first to have a tour of the hotel and to hear more about what the Champions scheme can offer businessess.

For existing Champions there was an invitation to stay on after the event for a workshop session on the future plans for Destination Chesterfield. This was an opportunity to be directly involved in shaping the next stage of the Destination Chesterfield project.

For further information on becoming a ‘Chesterfield Champion’ or future events contact Dom Stevens on 01246 207207 or email dominic.stevens@dncc.co.uk

Source:Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield