Business

Region celebrates 73% increase in foreign investment

26th July 2017

New figures from the Department for International Trade show that foreign investment into the Sheffield City Region (SCR) leapt by a massive 73% in the financial year to the end of March compared to previous 12 months.

The Government figures, produced annually, show that there were 46 investments by foreign businesses, creating 2308 new jobs and safeguarding another 217.

Chesterfield Champions, Ferdinand Bilstein, being amongst the top five project successes taking on 150 employees in the last year alone.

This makes it the most successful year for international investment in the region since the SCR was created.

Teams from the regeneration departments of the nine local authorities are supported by the region-wide SCR Trade and Investment team to work together to attract foreign companies from overseas, and others already based in the UK looking to relocate and expand.

Rachel Clark, Director of Trade and Investment for the SCR, said:-

“These excellent figures are the exciting result of collaborative work with our local authority and business partners and the Department for International Trade. It’s rewarding to see a team effort bringing in such fantastic returns in terms of jobs and economic growth.”

Further examples of other recent investments in the SCR include:

Peak Resort, the £400million tourism and leisure destination which is underway with £2.9million infrastructure funding from the SCR. The project will create 1,300 jobs.
A new 44,595 sq metre facility at the Markham Vale Enterprise Zone for Great Bear will create 400 new jobs serving the UK domestic market. A second distribution operation at Markham Vale is the largest development at Markham Vale to date.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Chesterfield Food Producer shortlisted as Pig Farmer of the Year

25th July 2017

Chesterfield Food Producer, Moss Valley Fine Meats, have recently been announced as finalist in the ‘Pig Farmer of the Year’ category for the Farmers Weekly Awards 2017.

Top technical performance was the common theme across all three finalists this year, which ranged from the largest pig producer in the country to a family-run farrow-to finish farm marketing their own produce. They stand against GSK Pigs in Norfolk and British Quality Pigs in Suffolk.

Stephen and Karen Thompson of Moss Valley Fine Meats, produce pork, bacon, ham and sausages in their own butchery from pigs bred and reared on their farm in the beautiful Moss Valley on the edge of Sheffield.

A rare little gem is how you could describe the family-run Moss Valley Fine Meats, which is home to 200 sows and is producing about 6,000 pigs a year. They have also recently gain planning permission to triple the size of the butchery with a LEADER application being undertaken for EU funding. This will allow the farm to expand across the country and hopefully internationally.

Moss Valley have developed a brand that is well-known with top chefs and at farmers markets in the Sheffield area; supplying around 70 restaurants, delis and shops in the local area. They have also been approached to supply large volumes of sausage for a schools contract.

A representative from the Farmers Weekly said about the farm:-

“A smaller-scale, family-run pig operation makes Moss Valley Meats really quite rare in the industry today. They have built a brand that is well known in the Sheffield area, has excellent performance and is carbon neutral.”

The winner of the awards will be announced in a black tie awards ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Mayfair in October.

Alongside being shortlisted for such a prestigious national title, Moss Valley are also celebrating being shorlisted as finalists in the first ever English SME Business Awards 2017.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

Chesterfield business leaders sought after to drive forward the work of the Sheffield City Region

24th July 2017

Dynamic individuals with an understanding of business and a taste for a challenge are being sought to help drive forward the work of the Sheffield City Region (SCR).

Four members of the Board of the Local Enterprise Partnership – or LEP – have reached the end of their three-year term and applications are invited for the vacancies.

Today Sir Nigel Knowles, Chair of the LEP Board, said:-

“I’m tremendously grateful to our retiring members. They have given us a huge breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding of this region and its strategic economic needs. They have given their time and expertise most generously and we all have a great deal to thank them for.”

Several Board members will be joining a booming region that is smashing its own targets. It aimed to see 70,000 new jobs in the decade from March 2015 – but just two years later 27,000 have already been created.

The Local Enterprise Partnership Board, founded six years ago, has built an enviable reputation as a business orientated and pragmatic private-public partnership. It leads a region now well placed to take advantage of greater localism – one of the key points of the Government’s Industrial Strategy – and to accelerate the rebirth of the economy.

The LEP drives trade and investment activities, transport improvements, housing developments, and skills and training. With LEP support two global giants, the supercar maker McLaren Automotive and aero manufacturer Boeing, voted with their feet and began building bases in the region this year, and another two such major announcements are confidently expected in the near future.

Now the SCR is looking for a three-year commitment from a new round of businesspeople prepared to sit on the LEP Board, giving their time and expertise to advise and guide the executive, working closely with the region’s local authorities.

The retiring members are Simon Carr, MD of Henry Boot Construction; Deborah Egan OBE, Arts Director; Paul Houghton, Partner at Grant Thornton; and Chris Scholey, former Chair of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Nigel Brewster, Vice Chair of the LEP, added:-

“I can honestly say being a LEP Board member is one of the most rewarding things I do. You learn a tremendous amount, meet fascinating people, and at the end of the day you can feel you’ve done some practical good for the region.

“Members serve for three years and we are using this opportunity to look for people who are willing, unpaid, to represent the wealth of different businesses, geography and population we have in this region. We are working on a new Strategic Economic Plan which will be our road map for the next 10 years, and it brings a whole new set of exciting challenges – so we are looking for the brightest and the best from across the whole of the region.

“We’re a region that’s booming, and now is an amazing time to join us.”

For more information on how to apply please click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Consultation on Northern Gateway vision

21st July 2017

A consultation is to seek the public’s views on both short and long term plans to redevelop Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway area to breathe extra life in to the town centre.

Chesterfield Borough Council appointed Chesterfield-based Whittam Cox Architects to produce a vision document which sets out how the area could develop in the short term through the previously announced first phase of the Northern Gateway project and, once that is complete, how it might develop in the future.

The first phase of the Northern Gateway scheme will see:

the former Co-op building redeveloped in a £10.5 million scheme by Central England Co-operative and Jomast Developments to house six ground floor restaurants, a Premier Inn hotel on the first and second floors and a health and fitness centre in the basement.
Chesterfield Borough Council demolish the existing Saltergate multi-storey car park and replace it with a new, higher quality car park in a £6.54 million scheme
An enterprise centre, incorporating a public space area, built on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park to house small and medium sized companies
Environmental street improvements around Elder Way and part of Knifesmithgate, to enhance this part of the town centre and make it more pedestrian friendly, will be funded using a £5.8 million grant from the Sheffield City Region.

This work will be completed over the next five years. Once that is delivered attention will turn to a second longer-term phase, which could see housing in the Newbold Road area.

The public will be able to see the plans, including visuals of how the area may look, and give their views at drop-in consultation sessions taking place in the entrance lobby to the Assembly Rooms in Chesterfield Market Hall between:

11am and 4pm on Friday 28 July and
10am and 2pm on Saturday 29 July.

Consultation information will then be displayed in the Tourist Information Centre in Rykneld Square from Monday 31 July to Friday 11 August. Residents can also complete the consultation online at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/northern-gateway.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-

“This public consultation will focus on the plans for the Enterprise Centre which the council is building and the environmental street improvements in Elder Way and Knifesmithgate.

“The key aim of the development at Northern Gateway is to attract more footfall for town centre shops and the market from the staff working in the Enterprise Centre and shoppers and visitors coming to a more attractive environment.

“We will also be seeking views on some of the longer term vision ideas about how the Northern Gateway can be better linked up to the historic core of the town centre, to the railway station and new developments like Waterside. This part of the vision is not something that will be happening soon but it is important that we plan for the future of the Newbold Road area too.”

The consultation will not include the Saltergate multi-storey car park or the Co-op redevelopment parts of the project.

Consultation has already taken place with Derbyshire County Council’s highways team, bus companies, taxi drivers, businesses and representatives of equalities groups to help produce the draft Northern Gateway vision document.

Andrew Dabbs, from Whittam Cox Architects, said:-

“Consultation with local people is an essential part of the design development process and we will look forward to presenting our plans and taking on board the feedback that will help us develop our scheme to the next level.

“We are pretty confident that with the work undertaken by our team in conjunction with the Chesterfield Borough Council will be welcomed and supported. We also hope through our consultation that people will understand the holistic benefit that this development could bring as a catalyst for wider regeneration around the Northern Gateway and the wider town centre.”

Following the public consultation a final version of the vision document will be produced which will then be used to attract inward investors to the Northern Gateway scheme.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

HS2 train link for Chesterfield a ‘game changer’

17th July 2017

A decision to bring the HS2 rail line through Chesterfield offers a once in a generation opportunity to create jobs and economic growth.

That was the message from Chesterfield Borough Council leader Councillor Tricia Gilby as she welcomed news that HS2 has decided to go ahead with plans for the main HS2 high speed rail link to follow a route through north Derbyshire and South Yorkshire that roughly follows the M1 and M18, with a spur coming off that would serve Chesterfield and Sheffield city centre.

It was also confirmed that Staveley will be home to a HS2 maintenance depot, creating jobs and helping to develop the former industrial sites in the area as part of a wider regeneration plan.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said:-

“This is a real game changer for Chesterfield because of the faster connections it will bring to London, Leeds, Manchester and other major cities and the extra capacity on those trains.

“Having high speed trains will benefit not only Chesterfield’s economy but also the wider area as Chesterfield is the link in to other parts of north Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park. It makes Chesterfield a destination to arrive at and that offers the opportunity to develop infrastructure around the station to bring wider economic benefits over time.”

The council is currently working with partners across the East Midlands and Sheffield City Region to maximise the potential opportunities to develop infrastructure that will enable the town to benefit from the rail link and to give local people the skills and training needed to get jobs created by HS2.

An East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy which sets out plans to achieve this is currently being developed and will be launched later this summer.

Councillor Gilby added: “We will be telling the Government that by investing in infrastructure we can maximise the economic benefits of the HS2 link sooner, bringing more jobs to Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.

“At Staveley we need to ensure that the maintenance depot plans link in with the pre-existing plans to redevelop the former industrial sites in that area. As that land has contamination on it we need to start work sooner rather than later to ensure that everything is ready to benefit from the HS2 rail link when it arrives.

“We do recognise that in addition to the positives of the HS2 link there will be disruption as well. We will be working with HS2 and the Government to ensure all possible mitigation measures are in place to minimise this as much as possible.”

The HS2 announcement has also been welcomed by business leaders.

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “Proposals for an HS2 stop in Chesterfield and the Staveley maintenance depot have already sparked a surge of interest in the town from all types of inward investor, including commercial developers and house-builders, thus reinforcing Chesterfield’s status on the national investment map.

“Chesterfield’s location and connectivity gives the town a unique appeal and this has already been recognised by many of those looking to invest. The HS2 announcements made to date have helped to raise the town’s profile even further, and promoted Chesterfield to a different league of investor.

“Key developments like Peak Resort and Chesterfield Waterside are already well underway and HS2 will help make Chesterfield a destination in its own right- an HS2 stop in the town will be another massive step forward.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Exciting opportunity for budding chefs to work across the Chatsworth Estate

17th July 2017

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s estate, which includes the famous local attraction of Chatsworth, is offering seven fantastic apprenticeships, to young people with a passion for food and a desire to train as a chef.

The successful apprentices will get the opportunity to work across the Devonshire Group’s three acclaimed restaurants on the Chatsworth Estate during the 13 month apprenticeship, where they will carry out work based learning with tutors from Learning Unlimited, part of the Chesterfield College Group. At the end of the apprenticeship programme successful learners will also be guaranteed positions at one of the restaurants and hotels within the group across Derbyshire and Yorkshire.

Clare Clifton, Group Training & Development Manager for the Devonshire Group at Chatsworth, said:

“We have an excellent track record of supporting apprentices and we are able to provide a range of career opportunities within the Group. We encourage our chefs to continue their professional development with us and to undertake ongoing study. In addition to the formal qualification and training, the apprenticeship will include the opportunity to gain experience across a range of restaurants – from fine dining to good pub food, working with our amazing chefs.”

Jordan Garratt, Chef de Partie with the Devonshire Group who trained at Chesterfield College and was a Young Chef of the Year finalist in 2014 told us:-

“The learning possibilities are endless here. The variety of things you get to work on is fantastic and there is a great team atmosphere. Working here is one of the best places to be if you want career progression.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Chesterfield businesses and jobseekers set to benefit from region-wide jobs board

13th July 2017

The creation of a new dedicated jobs board is set to benefit Chesterfield businesses, who will find it easier to find and retain talented and locally-based employees.

The Sheffield City Region Jobs Board, created by Sheffield-based technology and recruitment solutions firm TribePad, aims to support employers within the city region – including Chesterfield – whether they are operating in the private, public or third sectors.

Using the latest algorithmic insight, the specialist online platform ensures that regional jobs rank higher within the principal internet search engines, thereby providing benefits to both local employers and job seekers.

It aims to boost local employment and retain talented people by showcasing some of the best jobs and people based on locality.

TribePad, which lists Tesco and the BBC among its clients, is offering this facility to Chesterfield businesses completely free of charge.

Dean Sadler from TribePad said:-

“Our aim is to support the local economy by making it easier for jobseekers and businesses to connect.

“Following a successful pilot, TribePad may look to replicate this initiative elsewhere, however it is our intention that it will remain a free service for the Sheffield City Region and its employers.”

For regional businesses, and incoming inward investors, this online platform will be free to use and is being pitched as a new recruitment resource.

McLaren Automotive, who will be creating more than 200 new jobs in the recently announced Composites Technology Centre in Sheffield is one of the first big names to have signed up to the Jobs Board and expects it to play an important part in their recruitment process.

Jonathan Clement from McLaren Automotive said:-

“Sheffield City Region has a long-standing reputation for excellence in research, advanced manufacturing and engineering; consolidated by the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the wider Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District.

“We will be creating significant numbers of jobs over the next few years as we establish a manufacturing presence here.

“It is important to us that we tap into the specialist expertise that exists here.

“A regional jobs board is a fantastic way for us to achieve this and ensure that we raise awareness of employment opportunities with local residents.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Gist development to create 200 jobs at Markham Vale

12th July 2017

Up to 200 new jobs are set to be created at Markham Vale as supply chain specialist Gist Limited announces it’s opening new premises at Chesterfield’s flagship regeneration site.

Work has already started on the firm’s new bespoke, high-spec chilled warehouse and storage facility at the site located just off junction 29A of the M1.

Gist manages the supply chains for perishable and chilled products for a wide range of customers in the commercial and industrial sector.

The company has 5,000 employees based at more than 40 sites throughout the UK and Europe.

Alan Devine, Managing Director, Network Businesses, said:

“We are happy to be working with Derbyshire County Council and Henry Boot on the development of this important new extension to our national food logistics network, on time and on budget.

“Our new centre will significantly increase our ability to bring great service to our customers.”

The firm’s 90,760 sq.ft warehouse and storage facility is set to be completed by September 2017.

Gist will be the third business to join Ferdinand Bilstein UK and Great Bear Distribution on Markham Vale North.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King said:

“Gist will be another fantastic addition to Markham Vale.

“The firm’s decision to invest in Derbyshire shows its confidence in the county as a great place to base and grow a business and we’re delighted to hear that they’ll be creating 200 new jobs at the site too.

“Markham’s great location and transport links to the M1 make it a perfect fit for the supply chain specialists and it’s a real boost to Derbyshire’s business community.”

Building work will be carried out by Henry Boot Developments.

Vivienne Clements, Director at Henry Boot Developments, said:

“We are delighted to announce that a deal has been agreed on Markham Vale North, following swiftly on from completion of the Ferdinand Bilstein UK unit.

“Gist is a key player in the supply chain industry, and with the excellent transport routes and access to the M1 from Markham Vale, the new facility will become a key logistics hub for the firm.

“At Markham Vale, land is available in plots up to 15.6 acres, and with the link access road connecting the North land to the M1, we have seen huge interest for space on the land. We are confident there are more exciting announcements to come in 2017 at our flagship logistics park.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

New Saltergate car park planned

12th July 2017

Plans for a £6.54 million investment to improve the quality of town centre car parking in Chesterfield are being recommended for approval.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet is recommending to full council that it approves plans to demolish the existing Saltergate multi-storey car park and replace it with a new one.

Last year councillors approved plans to refurbish Saltergate at a cost of £3.58 million. Since then more detailed investigations have been carried out on the structure of the current car park and have found hidden problems that would have increased the cost of refurbishment to £5 million.

So councillors are now instead being recommended to approve a £6.54 million proposal to demolish the existing structure and replace it with one that will last 50 years and provide an even higher quality of car park than originally planned.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “The current Saltergate multi-story car park is showing its age and in real need of repair – the top two floors have been closed for the past two years and works have been carried out to keep it open.

“The option to demolish the existing car park and replace it with a newly-built one will require more investment initially but will offer much better value for money in the longer term.

“It will also offer better parking facilities not only to the existing car park users but also to the extra people we expect to use the car park following the development of the former Co-op building and the Northern Gateway project.”

If approved, the new Saltergate multi-storey car park will have 529 spaces – the same as the existing one before the top two floors were closed due to safety concerns.

Councillors will be told that while work is carried out to demolish Saltergate and build a new one, alternative car parking would be available at New Beetwell Street multi-storey car park and at surface car parks in the town centre. An interactive map of car parks is available on the council website: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/parking.

The development is part of the Northern Gateway project which will see an enterprise centre for start-up and medium sized businesses built at Holywell Cross (Donut) car park and improvements made to the pedestrian environment in Elder Way and part of Knifesmithgate.

This will be funded by a Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund grant of £5.83 million, which is unaffected by the council’s decision to withdraw its application to be a full member of the Sheffield City Region devolution deal.

The Northern Gateway project also includes the £10.5 million redevelopment of the former Co-op store by Central England Co-operative and partner Jomast Developments.

They already have planning permission for a leisure scheme that will include:

Six ground floor restaurants
A hotel on the first and second floors
A health and fitness centre in the basement
The first occupiers to be announced are Premier Inn.

Councillors will decide on the revised plans for the Saltergate multi-storey car park when they meet on Wednesday 19 July.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Visiting

Peak FM to offer great deals for family days out this Summer

11th July 2017

This summer, Peak FM are offering a selection of great deals for family days out at popular attractions within easy reach.

If you are looking to save money on ‘Family Days Out’ – don’t miss out on the Peak FM ‘Days Out’ vouchers which include up to half price discounts at Knowsley Safari, Crich Tramway village, Twinlakes all action theme park and Gloworm festival.

A full list of deals and offers can be found here.

Alongside the ‘Family Days Out’ vouchers, Cat & Ricky’s Ice Cream Tour comes to town as part of Peak FM’s Summer Campaign. Fredericks of Chesterfield and breakfast hosts, Cat and Ricky, will be out and about across July selling ice cream in aid of the Sick Children’s Trust

The Sick Children’s Trust runs free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation for families with seriously ill children in hospital. Two of the houses are at Sheffield Children’s Hospital – Treetop and Magnolia Houses. To find out more or to make a donation click here.

If you’d like Cat and Ricky from the Peak FM Breakfast Show to turn up in a Fredericks traditional ice cream van at your workplace, school or organisation click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Redbrik set to bring new homes to Holmewood

10th July 2017

Redbrik Estate Agents and Ace Developments have teamed up to bring a brand-new development to Holmewood.

Dubbed ‘The Poets’, the properties will be located on a cul-de-sac off Masefield Avenue and made up of ten high-spec houses. Two semi-detached, three bedroom houses, which will be completed by November this year and a further eight bungalows are set to be finished by February 2018.

Mark Ross, Director at Redbrik, said:-

“We are really excited about working with Ace Developments to bring ten stunning new properties to the market – eight of them being much needed bungalows. The team at Ace are great builders who believe in quality and have a keen eye for detail.

“With easy access to the M1, fantastic local amenities and great local schools, we think this development offers something for everyone, whether you are first-time buyers, a young family, or looking to downsize.

“Interested purchasers can contact us now and buy off-plan, which will give them the opportunity to customise their new home while it’s being built with their own choice of tiles, flooring, and other options.

“These properties are already in high demand so we are encouraging buyers to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Redbrik offers a full service approach to both buying and selling a house, including maintaining a large database of potential buyers. The company also works with other local businesses to provide financial advice, including mortgage qualification, and conveyancing. Based in a stylish office on Glumangate in Chesterfield, Redbrik is owned and managed by business partners Mark Ross and Julie Bulheller. The pair have over 25 years of combined experience of property sales locally.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business