Celebrate Chesterfield

£1bn of Investment Hailed a ‘Game Changer’ for Chesterfield

Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, has described the £1 billion of developments currently happening in the town as a ‘real game changer’.

His comments came at the recent annual Celebrate Chesterfield event, organised by the town’s inward investment campaign Destination Chesterfield. Held at the Winding Wheel (25 March) the packed event saw more than 220 business leaders gather to learn about plans for the town.

The £1 billion investment in the local economy includes Chesterfield’s £400 million Peak Resorts, £320 million Chesterfield Waterside, £88 million Markham Vale and £55 million Northern Gateway developments.

Peak Resorts was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to the US in January. Mr Bowen added: “We have a lot to look forward to with over £1 billion of investment coming into the town thanks to big projects like Chesterfield Waterside and Peak Resorts.

“Peak Resorts will be one of the UK’s flagship tourist attractions that will put Chesterfield on the map. Not only will it provide more than 1,000 jobs, but its hub and spoke model will encourage thousands of guests to disperse into the town centre economy every week and bring real value to our restaurant, retail and leisure businesses.”

Markham Vale – part of which sits within Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership’s Enterprise Zone – has also secured a further £7.6 million of funding, enabling additional areas to be opened up for development.

The funding follows £14 million of Government money last year which enabled Markham Vale to expand its business park plans by 81 acres, widen Erin Road, put in place utility infrastructure and construct 100,000 square feet of new industrial buildings. When complete the site will have capacity to bring an estimated 2,100 jobs to the town by 2022.

Further investment will also be seen within the town in 2015 as £8.6 million of funding has been secured from the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership for Northern Gateway.

There are also plans to demolish and develop the former Royal Mail multi-storey car park on West Bars roundabout and work will also begin on the University of Derby’s Chesterfield campus later in July with the site set to open in summer 2016.

At the event Mr Bowen also highlighted the concept of town centre living as being central to Chesterfield’s Masterplan to drive footfall and create a thriving day and night time economy.

Cllr John Burrows, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “Chesterfield used to be a heavy industry town but we are now having our modern awakening. We punch well above our weight here in Chesterfield and the news that over the next few years the town will benefit from £1 billion of investment is very exciting. We are now a modern town thanks to a lot of hard work from our partnerships with Destination Chesterfield, and local businesses and also through our ability to access funding from the Sheffield City Region and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnerships.

“As council leader I am very proud of the work we have done in regenerating the area. Over the coming years we want to work towards getting life back into the town after 6pm by investing in town centre residential and leisure facilities so that we can compete with the offerings of neighbouring cities.”

At the event, guests also welcomed news that the town’s marketing campaign Destination Chesterfield, which has been running since 2011, will continue until 2017.

Four areas of activity in the 2015 Destination Chesterfield plan include the launch of a new chesterfield.co.uk website, the Retail Awards, Food and Drink Awards and a month-long repeat of last year’s week-long festival of manufacturing, Made in Chesterfield, in November.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager commented: “The project is very much business-led. The plans and campaigns we develop are driven by the business community. A recent audit recognised the many strengths of the Destination Chesterfield projects, but specifically noted the success of the Chesterfield Champions network in disseminating information, lobbying and working together to trade locally. The Chesterfield Champions Scheme has gone from strength-to-strength and now has more than 160 local organisations contributing to the promotion of the town.”

The Celebrate Chesterfield event was held in association with headline sponsors Henry Boots Developments at Markham Vale and Corrugated Case Company.

To keep up to date with developments in Chesterfield, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments 

Read more about Celebrate Chesterfield and see videos and images from the event

Celebrate Chesterfield

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

Job Figures Continue to Improve

Job figures in the East Midlands are at their highest level in almost eight years, according to figures released today.

The Office for National Statistics issued its latest monthly regional employment bulletin this morning, which showed that the total number of people (aged 16-64) in employment in the region increased by 1,500 to 2,142,369 in the three months to January, meaning there were 51,749 more people in work than in the same period last year.

There were 117,000 people unemployed in the region in the three months to January 15. The last time the figure was this low was in April 2007.

The regional unemployment rate is now 5.2%, compared to the national rate of 5.7%.

In Chesterfield the number of people claiming out of work benefit stood at 1,437 in February, which is 43 lower than the figure announced in January.

East Midlands Chamber’s Head of Information and Representation, Chris Hobson, said: “This was another extremely positive set of employment figures, with the number of JSA claimants across the region falling significantly over the year, the number of people in work increasing and the unemployment rate in the East Midlands now well below the national average.

“Over the course of this Parliament, the unemployment rate in the East Midlands has fallen by 2.2% and this has largely been driven by the efforts of local businesses in creating the jobs and generating the growth needed to secure and sustain the economic recovery.

“With the General Election in the not-so-distant future and the inevitable uncertainties that will bring, business will be hoping the Chancellor keeps a steady hand on the tiller with his Budget announcement, rather than make any politically-motivated announcements which risk unpicking the strong progress the economy has made over the past two years.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards launched – Vote now for your favourite retailer

The town’s popular Retail Awards have returned for the second year running. Shoppers are now being called on to nominate their favourite shops and stores across 14 categories.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield, the Awards, which are sponsored by Learning Unlimited – part of Chesterfield College Group, recognise the very best retailers in the town.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said: “The success of the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards is once again very much in the hands of the general public. They need to nominate in order for retailers to be shortlisted.

“Chesterfield is envied nationally for its retail success. While other town and city centres are struggling, ours is thriving and it’s no wonder seeing the passion, innovation and customer service so many of the town’s retailers are delivering on a daily basis. These awards recognise this.”

This year, retailers can support their call for nominations by submitting a short 20 second video explaining why shoppers should nominate their business. Videos should be emailed to info@chesterfield.co.uk and will appear on Destination Chesterfield’s website, Facebook page and Twitter.

Last year more than 1000 nominations were received from shoppers culminating in 11 businesses being named the very best in the town. Pelican Cycles, based on Old Road in Brampton, scooped awards across four categories, including the coveted Retailer of the Year award.

The cycle shop was opened in 2012 by owner and keen cyclist Neil Armitage. The business achieved a six figure turnover in year one with turnover growing by more than 50% in its second year of trading. On winning the awards Neil said: “We pride ourselves on offering a friendly and personal service. We have created a welcoming informal atmosphere in the shop with the use of touches like an espresso machine and screen showing Tour De France highlights. Because of these touches and our approach to customer service we have developed a loyal repeat customer base.”

Stuart Cutforth, Principal of Chesterfield College explained: “Part of the Chesterfield College Group, Learning Unlimited is delighted to be sponsoring the Chesterfield Retail Awards this year. As a rapidly-growing apprenticeships and training provider, at the core of what we do is both providing people with the skills necessary to succeed in industry and helping businesses prosper and grow as a result of their workforce.

“We work with many local retailers already and the apprenticeships that we offer in relation to retail are growing increasingly popular, such as customer service and sales apprenticeships so we were delighted to get involved with such a key retail awards ceremony in Chesterfield. We hope that we continue to work successfully with more and more local retailers in regard to their staffing and training needs as we look to help grow this area’s economy, giving the community a real boost.”

Nominations open on Tuesday 17th March and close at Midnight on the 6th April 2015 and postcards and posters are being distributed around the town to encourage people to vote online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards. 

Everyone that nominates will be entered into a prize draw to win a three-course meal with wine for two at the Old Post Restaurant, winner of Restaurant of the Year at the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards 2014.

Following the nomination process a shortlist of retailers will be selected who will then be mystery shopped and scored to decide the winner in each of the categories.  The winners will be announced at an award ceremony held later this year in June.

The 14 categories open for nominations in the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards include:

  • Hair and Beauty Business of the Year
  • Fashion and Footwear Retailer of the Year
  • Jewellery and Accessories Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by the Pavements Shopping Centre
  • Home and Gifts Retailer of the Year
  • Children’s Clothes, Toys & Accessories Retailer of the Year
  • Food and Drink Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by BHP Accountants
  • Phones and Technology Retailer of the Year
  • Leisure Retailer of the Year (Sports, Hobbies, Crafts or Outdoor)
  • Market Trader of the Year – Sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council
  • Independent Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Jumble Design
  • National/ Multiple Retailer of the Year – Sponsored by Vicar Lane
  • Excellence in Customer Service – Sponsored by Learning Unlimited
  • Market Hall Business of the Year – Sponsored by Kier
  • Best New Store (Opened 2014/2015) – Sponsored by Banner Jones Solicitors

There is also an additional Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by East Midlands Chamber, which will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Other supporters of the 2015 Chesterfield Retail Awards include E-business works and the Derbyshire Times.

There are limited sponsorship opportunities still available if you are interested in becoming involved please contact Dom Stevens on 01246 207207 or email dom.stevens@chesterfield.co.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting

Chesterfield Chosen to Host National Canal Festival

A popular national canal festival is to be held in Chesterfield for this first time in over ten years.

Organised by the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), the National Trailboat Festival will take place at Staveley Town Basin during the 2016 spring bank holiday weekend.

Highlights of the event include an illuminated parade of boats on the Saturday night and a convoy right up to the River Rother at St Helena’s on the Monday.

Robin Stonebridge Chair of Chesterfield Canal Trust said:

“We are delighted that the IWA has chosen to return to the Chesterfield for its 2016 Trailboat Festival.

“The boaters who came here in 2002 or 2005 will see a great change, both on the canal and in the surrounding area.

“Canals get restored by continuously making the case, by hard graft and by spreading the word and building support from across the country.  Although we still have eight miles to restore, the festival will be a good way to celebrate the trust’s efforts thus far and for visitors to have a really good time here in North East Derbyshire.”

As with the yearly canal festivals held at Staveley, this national event will also include boat rides, canoeing, children’s rides, plenty of entertainment, dozens of stalls plus food and drink including a real ale bar.

The vital difference with this festival however – say Canal Trust members – will be the number of boats. It is expected that dozens of trailboats will be moored in the basin and back towards Constitution Hill Bridge. Many will be decorated, creating a really colourful spectacle.

As trailboats are towed, it will also be possible to be launch them down the slipway at Staveley Basin – where they will enter the stretch of water between Staveley and Kiveton Park which is currently inaccessible to normal canal boats due to ongoing restoration work.

IWA national chairman Les Etheridge said: “Our 2016 Trailboat Festival will help to demonstrate the community benefits that flow from the revival of functioning waterways. As well as providing a great day out, we hope the festival will stimulate renewed support from the public and local interest groups for the Trust’s sterling restoration work.”

Derbyshire County Council owns this section of the canal. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins said: “The newly developed Staveley Basin has made Chesterfield Canal an attractive area for boats and we’re delighted to be hosting the National Trail Boat Festival in Derbyshire next year.

“We’re committed to helping to improve Derbyshire’s economy and tourism has a massive role to play.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the boating community to Derbyshire to enjoy our beautiful county and all it has to offer.”

Chesterfield Canal Trust has previously run IWA Trailboat Festivals at Tapton Lock in 2002 and 2005. Both were hugely successful, as was the IWA Campaign Rally held at Kiveton Park in 2009.

For more information visit http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Celebrate Chesterfield Event a Sell Out!

Destination Chesterfield’s event to toast the town’s success has been declared a sell out.

Celebrate Chesterfield, which is being held at the Winding Wheel on Wednesday 25 March from 07:30am – 11:00am, is now set to welcome more than 200 people to the venue.

To add your name to the waiting list in case of cancellations, please visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate.

The free event, held in association with headline sponsors Markham Vale and The Corrugated Case Company, offers local businesses the chance to be the first to hear about the exciting plans for the town in 2015.

The breakfast event will also look back on the success of Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment campaign, during the last 12 months. The campaign, which has been running since 2011, and will launch a new plan to promote the town until December 2016.

People who have missed out on getting a place at Celebrate, can keep-up-to-date with what’s being discussed at the event by following it on Twitter @desches and using #celebrate15.

Delegates at the event will also have the opportunity to question local leaders and politicians on a Question Time-style panel.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said: “There has once again been exceptional demand attend our annual Celebrate event. It’s a great opportunity to look at all we have achieved together as a town as well as what is going to be happening.

“It is with the support of our sponsors, Henry Boot Developments and The Corrugated Case Company that we are able to run this event bringing people together to celebrate and share in the success of our thriving town.”

The event will also include talks from local business people, including the University of Derby which will present the much-anticipated plans for the St Helena’s site in Chesterfield.

Ben Ward of Henry Boot Developments said, “Markham vale has grown successfully to become one of Chesterfield’s prime employment sites over the last 12 months which is great news for the local economy. During the next 12 months we are hopeful to be able to announce some further significant new investment projects for the site and region.

“We are delighted to sponsor this event and continue our support to promote Chesterfield, often overshadowed by its larger neighbours. There is a wealth of good news in the area which needs to be celebrated. This includes the decision by both Inspirespac and Gould alloys to retain their roots in Chesterfield and invest to significantly grow their businesses at Markham.”

Tony Hession, Director of The Corrugated Case Company said: “As a Chesterfield based company with customers and staff based here, we’re thrilled to be involved with the Celebrate Chesterfield event. It is vital that we promote all that is good about our town; its centrally located geographic position, its historic (and present day) creative manufacturing and engineering prowess and of course its location on the edge of the magnificent Peak District and all that has to offer! We look forward to meeting friends both old and new at the Destination Chesterfield event.”

As well as following the event on Twitter, people are also being urged to Like Chesterfielduk on Facebook and to check Destination Chesterfield’s website: www.chesterfield.co.uk to ensure they don’t miss out on the news throughout the event.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Chesterfield to Host International Cricket in 2015

Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, will once again be in the media spotlight when international cricket returns to the town in an Ashes summer when England Under-19s face Australia Under-19s in the second of five One-Day internationals in August.

The match is to be played on Friday 14 August and is a chance for supporters to watch the England and Australia stars of the future, including a potential appearance from Derbyshire fast-bowler Will Davis who was recently selected for the Under-19s tour of Australia.

The match will bring a second helping of high quality action for the Chesterfield public following Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s annual Festival of Cricket, in association with Chesterfield Borough Council. This will be held in July and includes LV= County Championship action against Glamorgan and NatWest T20 Blast fixtures versus Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Yorkshire Vikings.

Chesterfield Cricket Club Chairman Mike Taylor said: “We are looking forward to another great summer of cricket here in Queen’s Park.

“In July, we will host Derbyshire County Cricket Club’s Festival of Cricket and it’s great that we’ll bring the curtain down with an Ashes battle between the best young players in England and Australia.

“Hosting both these high profile events is great news for the town and also great news for Chesterfield Cricket Club. Watching some of the best players around always inspires our youngsters at the Club and local schools and these big matches provide us with opportunities for us to raise funds which help us continue to run a very successful league cricket club.

“We’re proud to host Derbyshire‘s Festival of Cricket and hope the Festival will continue for many years. It’s been great to host additional matches in recent summers like the England Women, Yorkshire versus the Unicorns and now the England and Australia Under-19s.

“It’s well documented that Sachin Tendulkar called our ground the most beautiful he’s ever played on. Hopefully we’ll send some English and Australian stars of the future away with a similar view.”

Entry for the match is free of charge beginning at 10.30am.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Celebrate Chesterfield welcomes Two Headline Sponsors

Limited places remain to toast the success of Chesterfield’s marketing campaign, Destination Chesterfield at the Winding Wheel, on Wednesday 25 March from 07:30am – 11:00am.

The free ‘Celebrate Chesterfield’ event, held in association with headline sponsors Markham Vale and Corrugated Case Company, allows local businesses to be the first to hear the exciting plans in store for the town in 2015. The morning will also reveal Destination Chesterfield’s upcoming marketing activities until December 2016.

The breakfast will also look back on the campaign’s success during the last twelve months and offers the opportunity to question local leaders and politicians on a Question Time panel.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The annual Celebrate event is so important.  All too often we hear about the good news in isolation and it can be overshadowed by the bad which means it can be forgotten in the melee. This will be our third Celebrate Chesterfield event, following the success of last year’s which was standing room only, however the stream of good news delivered by the Destination Chesterfield team left us all uplifted! This year, Celebrate will be no different. We’ve made a point of building on last year’s success and striving to be even better in 2015.”

The event will also include talks from various local business people.  Corrugated Case Company will discuss how it secured RGF funding to develop the business, a tenant from Markham Vale will talk about their expansion and the University of Derby will present its much anticipated plans for the St Helena’s site in the town centre.

Destination Chesterfield was established in 2010 during which time it has engaged the business community as Chesterfield Champions in actively supporting the marketing of the town and driving investment and bringing it to the attention of national investors.

Ben Ward of Henry Boot Developments said, “Markham vale has grown successfully to become one of Chesterfield’s prime employment sites over the last twelve months which is great news for the local economy.  During the next twelve months we are hopeful to be able to announce some further significant new investment projects for the site and region.

“We are delighted to sponsor this event and continue our support to promote Chesterfield, often overshadowed by its larger neighbours. There is a wealth of good news in the area which needs to be celebrated. This includes the decision by both Inspirespac and Gould alloys to retain their roots in Chesterfield and invest to significantly grow their businesses at Markham.”

Tony Hession, Director of Corrugated Case Company said: “As a Chesterfield based company with customers and staff based here, we’re thrilled to be involved with the Celebrate Chesterfield event. It is vital that we promote all that is good about our town; its’ centrally located geographic position, it’s historic (and present day) creative manufacturing and engineering prowess and of course its location on the edge of the magnificent Peak District and all that has to offer! We look forward to meeting friends both old and new at the Destination Chesterfield event.”

Celebrate Chesterfield is free to attend however spaces are limited and places should be confirmed online.  More than 200 delegates have already registered and so businesses are being encouraged to book now to avoid disappointment at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate.

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

Chesterfield Enjoys More Good News on Jobs

Unemployment has fallen, the number of people in employment has increased and there are fewer people claiming out of work benefits now than a year ago, according to new figures released today.

The Office for National Statistics’ latest regional employment statistics showed that in the last three months of 2014, there were 36,593 more people in employment across the East Midlands than in the previous three months, while the total number of unemployed fell by 17,487 in the same period.

In the East Midlands, employment stood at 74.5% compared with 73.2% nationally according to today’s figures. Unemployment stood at 5% for the region compared to 5.7% nationally.

In Chesterfield there was a small increase in the number of people claiming the out of work benefit with many temporary seasonal contracts coming to an end (1,480 in January compared to 1,385 in December). However this figure is 564 lower than that announced in January 2014 (2,044).

The East Midlands Chamber, which represents businesses across the three counties, has welcomed the good news on jobs.

Chamber Chief Executive George Cowcher said: “There is usually a seasonal spike in JSA Claimants in January and February each year as temporary employment contracts come to an end after the Christmas period, but that aside, today’s figures were again very positive.

“There are now more people in work and fewer people unemployed and claiming out of work benefits now than a year ago, which highlights how much progress the economy has made over the past 12 months.

“It’s also positive to see that wage growth is now outstripping inflation. A focus on improving productivity from businesses will ensure this is sustainable.”

East Midlands Chamber logo

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

Work starts on new Chesterfield College building

Work has begun at Chesterfield College to create a new home for students studying plumbing, joinery and other building services courses.

The new structure, which is taking shape next to the A61 opposite the college’s existing campus on Infirmary Road, has been part funded by the Skills Funding Agency. Completion is expected by September 2015.

Principal at Chesterfield College, Stuart Cutforth explains, “This will be a fantastic new facility for our students studying a range of building services. We aim to bring the very best learning environment to every single one of our students, vitally this new building will have the latest facilities that prepare them for working out in today’s construction industry.”

The college is also updating parts of its tower building, a familiar sight on Chesterfield’s skyline. First of all the neon ‘Chesterfield College’ signage is being updated to an LED lighting system which is substantially more cost effective to run.

The oldest parts of the tower are also being updated with new double glazing and cladding that will not only update the look of the building but also improve its thermal efficiency, saving a considerable amount in heating costs.

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield College Launches New Creative Hub

West Studios has opened its doors to showcase the new facilities it has available for creative businesses in Chesterfield.

The former boy’s grammar school on Sheffield Road has been completely renovated thanks to a grant from the European Regional Development Fund.

Part of Chesterfield College, the centre now offers workshop and office space, as well as access to business support that can help turn creative skills into successful enterprises.

Guests enjoyed an exhibition and auction at the event on Thursday 22nd January which featured a diverse range of work from current tenants – from silversmithing to sculpture, knitwear design to performing arts and much more.

Sharlaine Fincham, Manager of West Studios said:-

“It is wonderful to be able play a role in nurturing local creative talent in a way that will give creative industries in our region a real competitive edge.

“It’s evident that a facility like West Studios is needed as we are already working with so many fantastic businesses. We are helping our tenants with things like market research, using social media and other general business support that can really make a difference.”

Photographs from the launch event are on the Chesterfield Facebook page here.

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Latest good news on jobs

The latest job figures announced today show significant annual falls in the number of people claiming out of work benefits and the total number of unemployed people across the region, along with a large annual increase in employment.

In Chesterfield the number of people claiming out of work benefit stood at 1,385 in December, which is 522 fewer than the same month in 2013 and 61 fewer than the figure announced in November.

In Derby and Derbyshire, there were 491 fewer Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) claimants in December than there were in November, representing an annual fall of 5,517, or 36%.

Across the East Midlands, the total number of people in employment increased by 11,709 in the three months to November, an increase of 49,750 on the same period in 2013.

The total number of unemployed between September and November increased by 603, but was down by 19,094 on the year.

The East Midlands Chamber, which represents businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, has welcomed the news, but says firms are still struggling to recruit skilled staff.

Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Head of Information and Representation, said: “Today’s employment figures are once again extremely positive and show that significant progress has been made in getting more people off jobseekers’ benefits and into work.

“However, this growth in employment could be even better as many businesses are still telling the Chamber that they experience difficulties in finding suitably skilled workers.

“The results of our latest Quarterly Economic Survey (Q4 2014) showed that about two-thirds of firms – twice as many as in the same quarter of 2013 – struggled to recruit people with the skills they need. This is an area which requires urgent focus from policymakers.

“In particular, getting the link right between education and the world of work has never been more important if this country is serious about creating a new economy equipped for success in the long term.

“It’s an issue that the Chamber has long campaigned on and, unfortunately, the structural problems in this area, over the past few years in particular, are impacting upon businesses’ ability today to recruit the right staff to help them grow.

“The skills shortage is very much a current issue, so getting right policies in place to support recruitment is imperative, with priority being given to  specific policies regarding relief on business investment and supporting those furthest away from the job market into employment.”

Source:East Midlands Chamber

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