Celebrate Chesterfield

New bistro set to serve up a treat in Chesterfield Town Centre

A brand-new bistro is now open in Chesterfield Town Centre, providing a relaxing, homely, family atmosphere for people in the town.

CIBO will be serving customers a range of treats, with the breakfast menu to feature luxury granola, traditional bacon sandwiches, and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.

For lunch, people can enjoy home cooked meals ranging from tender beef stew, beef burgers with blue cheese and homemade slaw, toasted ciabattas, light salads with a variety of fillings and much more.

It is hoped the bistro will be made open to the public from the mid-to-late May 2022, as the finishing touches and preparations are made to the new business.

Bistro Supervisor and coordinator, Louise Spence explained how excited the team was to open their doors: “Being from chesterfield and living in the area all my life I have an affiliation with the town, having a vast experience in the hospitality sector working in Artisan cafés and a passion for food, this new venture allows me to run with my own ideas.

“We hope with the experience,  enthusiasm, and work ethics we possess we can bring something truly fantastic to the people of this great market town.”

Louise added: “We believe it’s time to remind the people of chesterfield how great we can be and bring back that community spirit through hard work and determination! Already having a proven track record over the last 18 years with peacock coffee lounge we believe this will give us a winning formula to replicate with CIBO.”

A number of special dishes will be on offer at CIBO, as Louise outlined: “Our signature dishes are fantastic for couples and family sharing options based on 2 or 4 people which include British classic for the summer ploughman’s platter, antipasto platter with mixes meats, olives and dipping breads or opt to try our homemade chilli either beef or chickpea with tasty nachos topped with smashed avocado, jalapeños all served with side salads and a selection of fresh breads.

“To finish are specially selected cakes and desserts such as Belgian waffles with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit, Eton mess and luxury ice cream milkshakes.”

The team at CIBO are also looking to become a big part of the community in Chesterfield, and look forward to supporting fellow local businesses and residents in the town.

Louise said: “The past few years have been extremely tough for everyone with covid and lockdowns, however we have taken the brave decision to launch our new venture. We hope with the support of the people of chesterfield behind us we can add something new and exciting to our town, truly believing with your support anything is possible!”

“We are a great advocate of helping independent local businesses and encourage all of us to get behind local suppliers and companies, creating jobs for local people.  We hope the kind people of chesterfield will come and give us a try in the coming weeks.”

To find out more about CIBO, head over to their Facebook page, or for a guide to eating out in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/eating-out/

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Completion of new Jewson branch supports delivery of Chesterfield Station Masterplan 

Construction of a new Jewson branch on Sheffield Road has been completed. This is a key milestone in the £10.8m joint project, between Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council, to deliver the first phase of the Hollis Lane Link Road.

The new Jewson branch will open its doors on Monday 9 May as it relocates from its former home on Spa Lane.

The move will allow the construction of a new highway from Hollis Lane, extending Spa Lane up to the railway station car park. The Link Road will provide a new gateway from the south as part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s ambitious plans to regenerate the area around Chesterfield railway station.

The Jewson development has also delivered wider benefits to Chesterfield – contractors Morgan Sindall Construction have engaged directly with more than 1,000 students from Chesterfield College, Outwood Academy Newbold, The Bolsover School and Shirebrook Academy. The students have been encouraged to consider careers in construction and educated in what skills they will need to gain to pursue successful careers in the sector.

In addition, Morgan Sindall Construction has spent around £1million within the local supply chain, through sourcing building materials from local merchants and employing local sub-contractors for particular construction tasks.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The completion of Jewson’s new Sheffield Road branch signals another positive step forward for our plans to transform the area around Chesterfield railway station.

“The depot will provide a great new base for a much valued local employer, and also brings a longstanding empty site back into productive use.

“Making sure that developments also benefit the wider community is a key priority for us. We welcome the work that Morgan Sindall Construction has done within the local community both in supporting skills development and the local supply chain.”

James Garnett, Project Director for Morgan Sindall Construction said: “We are delighted to have completed the new Jewson branch in Chesterfield. Since our appointment, we were determined that our delivery of this project would result in tangible benefits for the wider Chesterfield community. By working with closely with the council and local community groups, we’ve been able to achieve just that. We are very proud of the impact that our charity and education work has had on the town, and the opportunities it will afford local people for years to come.”

Jewson is one of the largest builders’ merchants in the UK, with nearly 500 branches located across the country. Its new branch on Sheffield Road will be a one-stop shop for tradespeople and the general public.

Barry Hilling, Regional Director at Jewson, said: “The development of our new Sheffield Road branch in Chesterfield is part of a wider series of investments we’re making to lessen our impact on the environment, while also supporting our communities.

“Jewson Chesterfield will be one of our first near zero carbon energy branches, fitted with a range of innovative technology, also available to customers through our Making Better Homes range, which will vastly reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on the energy network. We’re delighted to help support the regeneration of the local area and offer tradespeople easy access to more innovative products.”

Councillor Alasdair Sutton, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “This is an important step in the process to develop the Hollis Lane Link Road, as the old Jewson site was needed. The link road will be a key part of the plans for the station area and we look forward to working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council on this important project.”

The Chesterfield Station Masterplan aims to create a welcoming first impression to Chesterfield for visitors by rail. New public realm is planned to establish a sense of arrival as is a boulevard of retail and leisure leading up to Corporation Street and the Crooked Spire. A new transport hub will make onward journeys easier, and a new cycle hub will enable visitors to hire bikes and e-bikes. The Hollis Lane Link Road will improve access to the railway station from the south and there are plans to replace the existing ‘land hungry’ surface car parks with multi-storey car parks freeing up the land for residential and commercial development.

Construction work on the first phase of the Hollis Lane Link Road is anticipated to begin later this year. The Link Road is part funded through a £3.8m grant from the D2N2 Local Economic Partnership.

As part of its wider plan to positively impact the local community in Chesterfield, Morgan Sindall Construction commenced work with Chesterfield College in 2021 on a programme of activities to demonstrate to students the many different opportunities that a career in construction can offer. The programme consisted of virtual talks on the works being delivered at the Jewson site, and in person site tours for craft trade and technical students.

Morgan Sindall Construction also supported Destination Chesterfield’s Made in Chesterfield campaign to celebrate local manufacturing and STEM industries with site visits and career events in local secondary schools such as Outwood Newbold Academy, Shirebrook Academy and Bolsover School.

Morgan Sindall Construction has also donated £16,350 to local charities including Ashgate Hospicecare and provided over 100 hours of volunteering time. Morgan Sindall Construction’s Wakefield office will be running its second charity football match later this year to raise more funds for local charities.

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Dozens of jobs to be created at Derbyshire’s first electric forecourt at Markham Vale

One of our area’s flagship regeneration sites, Markham Vale, could soon be home to a state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station powered exclusively by renewable energy.

Gridserve, the tech-enabled sustainable energy business, has submitted a planning proposal application to Chesterfield Borough Council to build another of its award-winning Electric Forecourt sites at Markham Vale.

Markham Vale Electric Forecourt would be a timely addition to the Borough, more than doubling the number of chargers to meet both current and growing needs for electric car drivers in the area. The proposed site would be the first dedicated EV charging facility of its kind in the area, with 30 chargers supplied by 100% renewable energy and connectors to serve drivers of every type of EV.

The proposed location for the new Electric Forecourt is between Enterprise Way and the eastern side of Duckmanton. The site plans feature 22 high power chargers, providing up to 350kW – powerful enough to supply up to 100-miles of range in less than 10-minutes. Additionally, six AC chargers providing up to 22kW complete the plans.

The development would make a significant contribution to local electric vehicle charging infrastructure and would create 25+ full time equivalent employment opportunities through the design, engineering, construction and operation phases. Interested parties are invited to view information on the proposal here. www.gridserve.com/markhamvale

Gridserve CEO, Toddington Harper, said; “We are committed to delivering EV charging infrastructure that both enables the transition to net zero carbon transport, and excites drivers to make the transition to electric vehicles. The geographical distribution of EV charging across the UK is essential to usher in the mass market era of electric vehicles. This development would benefit the local community, and the wider UK as it reduces its reliance on fossil fuels. We are proud to have chosen the area of Markham Vale for this project and we hope the people across the region share our passion for delivering a cleaner, more sustainable future in the earliest possible timeframes.”

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said: “We welcome Gridserve’s interest in Markham Vale and, if their proposal is granted planning permission, the new Electric Forecourt, will give motorists the confidence to make the switch to an electric vehicle and move us closer to our target of helping to get 1,000 public facing electric vehicle charge points in place throughout the county by 2025.”

“Decarbonising transport is one of our top priorities as part of our climate change strategy which aims to reduce emissions generated by the county council to net-zero by 2032 or sooner and help the rest of Derbyshire reduce carbon emissions generated within the county to net zero by 2050 or sooner.”

Richard Hinds, Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Markham Vale is one of the largest industrial and logistics schemes in the North, so it’s important that we look to the future to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place to provide motorists with clean energy. We’re very pleased to welcome Gridserve and look forward to working with the team as they bring their plans forward.”

 

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Robert Woodhead Ltd sustainability initiative scoops prestigious award

Robert Woodhead Ltd have won the Environmental or Community Initiative of the Year 2022 at the National Federation of Builder’s Construction of Excellence awards.

The company’s ‘Going Beyond Green’  initiative detailed efforts including:

  • The company’s 10 year Climate Action Framework which will lead them to their goal of becoming a climate positive contractor with zero single use plastic on site by December 2029.
  • The ‘Future Home‘ product which has been developed to meet 2025 building regulations today and can achieve NET Zero carbon. The results will be accelerated delivery, up to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions and up to £175 in tenant bill savings.
  • On-site carbon monitoring.
  • Launching an EV scheme for employees and progressing a vision towards an all-electric Fleet.

The event took place at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London on Thursday 8th April, with attendance from Business Services Director, Tom Woodhead, and Janine Broderick, People Development Director. The company also invited Estimator Scott Wilkinson and Assistant Project Manager Liam Thorpe in recognition for their great work they have done for the environmental efforts of the company.

Scott was instrumental in Woodhead’s support for the community woodland, securing 1,000 trees to be planted as part of the national pathfinding project in Bolsover. You can read more about this initiative here.

Liam completed his dissertation on embodied carbon and collaborated with Woodhead Group client, Nottingham City Homes, to undertake a focus group/presentation with their new build team. He encouraged Nottingham City Homes to consider the impact of embodied carbon in their projects and how to reduce it. Liam’s learning was applied to Woodhead’s Eastglade site, which consists of 106 homes, where the team prevented 116 Tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. Subsequently, the carbon footprint of the foundations was reduced by 76%.

Robert Woodhead Ltd supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Nominate now! People urged to nominate their business heroes for Love Chesterfield Awards 2022

Chesterfield’s annual Love Chesterfield Awards are returning in 2022 to recognise the heroes of the town’s high street and wider business community.

The awards will celebrate the town’s food and drink and retail businesses, entrepreneurs, regeneration projects, apprenticeships and sustainability.

From now until the 31 May, people can nominate their favourite pub, restaurant, café, tearoom, food producer, independent and chain retailer, hospitality business, market trader and high street business across 10 categories in the annual awards.

Organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with EntireFM – Complete Facilities Management, nominations for the prestigious awards can be made online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfieldawards/.

Nominated businesses will be evaluated by a mystery panel of judges before the winners are announced at a glittering black tie awards ceremony at the Winding Wheel Theatre on Wednesday 12 October.

With 310 new businesses opening in Chesterfield since the start of the pandemic, there should be no shortage of choice for nominations.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “The town’s businesses have, once again, proved that they don’t stand still in the face of adversity, adapting and, in some cases, expanding, during the pandemic.

“Nominating a business for a Love Chesterfield Award is an excellent opportunity for people to show their appreciation and gain public recognition for the town’s businesses that go the extra mile.”

Peter Currey, CEO of EntireFM – Complete Facilities Management, the headline sponsor of the awards, commented: “We are delighted to be the headline sponsor, once again, for the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards. The awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise the many fantastic businesses, organisations and individuals that are working so hard to keep Chesterfield thriving.”

There are 15 categories in total in the Love Chesterfield Awards 2022, however people can nominate across 10 categories:

  • Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by headline sponsor EntireFM – Complete Facilities Management
  • Retailer of the Year – sponsored by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
  • Independent High Street Business of the Year
  • Best New Hospitality Business
  • Food Producer of the Year – sponsored by MSE Hiller
  • Best New High Street Business – sponsored by Sutton McGrath Hartley
  • Market Trader of the Year – sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council
  • Café/Tea Room of the Year
  • Pub/Bar of the Year – sponsored by Shorts Chartered Accountants
  • Excellence in Customer Service

Other categories in the Love Chesterfield Awards 2022 include the Regeneration Award – sponsored by BHP Chartered Accountants, Accessibility Award – sponsored by Spirecross Ltd, Sustainability Award – sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council, Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by DBC Training and Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Banner Jones Solicitors. Businesses can put themselves forward for one of these prestigious awards with entries opening for these categories from 12 May until 30 June.

As well as the individual award sponsors, the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards are also supported and made possible by Derbyshire Times, Elder Way and JP Fire Safety Solutions.

Nominate online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfieldawards/ until midnight on 31 May 2022.

Peter Swallow added: “After the turmoil and uncertainty of the last two years, we expect the 2022 Love Chesterfield Awards to be our biggest and best yet, which is only possible through the generosity of our sponsors. We’re encouraging those who would like to show appreciation for the town’s business community to make an enquiry about the packages available.”

If you’re interested in sponsoring the awards, information about the remaining sponsorship packages is available at www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfieldawards/sponsors/sponsorshippackages/ or by contacting Tara Underhill, Senior Destination Chesterfield Coordinator by emailing Tara.underhill@chesterfield.co.uk or calling 01246 207 207.

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Superior Wellness confirmed finalists at the EMEA 2022 Inspiring Workplace Awards

The team at Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness say they’re ‘delighted’ to be announced as finalists for the 2022 EMEA Inspiring Workplace Awards.

The awards recognise forward-thinking and people-first organisations. Originally, called The Employee Engagement Awards, they have since evolved into Inspiring Workplaces.

Wellness is at the forefront of everything that Superior Wellness do, and this is followed through to partners, suppliers and the internal team. The family culture that has been built at Superior Wellness is something they are incredibly proud of. The focus is to create a positive working environment where the team feel inspired to come to work every single day.

Carol Claydon, Head of HR said, “I am absolutely thrilled that Superior Wellness has been recognised as a finalist in the Inspiring Workplace Awards. We understand that if there is a positive working environment, our team will enjoy coming to work and in return feel happier.”

“I have played a key role in implementing new policies and resources to improve wellbeing for the team. We really are like one big family here and I feel very lucky to be part of it.”

The Inspiring Workplaces Group recently announced its first ever Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces across EMEA. The order of the Top 50 will be announced at the Gala Dinner held at the Kia Oval in London on May 24, 2022.

Founder of Inspiring Workplaces, Matt Manners said, “We have been recognising organisations and the inspirational people within them for over eight years now. This year, we wanted to evolve the awards to represent the way the world of work is evolving too.

“Congratulations to all the finalists. We can’t wait to share these stories and promote the inspirational work you are doing day-in-day-out.”

The company would like to wish its fellow finalists and nominees the best of luck when the winners are announced.

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Major refurbishment to take place at prominent Chesterfield office building

A major refurbishment of prominent Chesterfield office space, The HQ, Rowland Hill House in Chesterfield is underway, resulting in a raft of new tenants.

The works being carried out by FI Real Estate Management includes a £1.2m remodelling of the ground and third floors, which has created brand new reception and meeting space and the ground floor has been split into a series of smaller suites in response to market demand. This is now fully occupied by a diverse range of businesses including software consultancy Forefront Technology and advertising agency, Eehhaaa.

The next phase of works will see a £1m+ refurbishment of the first and second floors that will see the space divided to provide smaller units, with discussions already ongoing with a number of interested parties from Derbyshire and beyond.

The HQ, Rowland Hill House offers a wide range of refurbished, flexible and affordable office space from 400 sq ft up – right up to 60,331 sq ft across four floors. Space can be divided in order to meet specific business requirements, with turnkey and bespoke packages available.

The property also boasts 326 on site parking spaces, unlike many office buildings in the area.

Situated within the heart of the historic market town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, Rowland Hill House is just a 15 minute drive from the M1 and East Midlands Airport only a 40-minute car journey away.

A spokesperson for FI Real Estate Management commented: “We continue to see strong demand for high quality office space in prime locations in Derbyshire and the surrounding area, particularly those with ample on-site parking like here at The HQ, Rowland Hill House.

“Local and regional businesses are keen to find first class office environments but understandably want the flexibility to create solutions that are tailored to them and suit their unique needs. We’re able to offer traditional leases as well as bespoke, turnkey packages and are already seeing good interest in floors one and two on this basis.”

Find out more about the wide range of quality and affordable office spaces here in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

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Chesterfield Escape Rooms gears up for 1st anniversary celebrations

One of Chesterfield’s most renowned visitor attractions, Chesterfield Escape Rooms is set to celebrate it’s 1st birthday in May by reflecting on a number of resounding successes since opening in 2021.

Based on Soresby Street, the games centre features several games where participants must complete a series of puzzles and challenges in order to ‘escape.’ In less than a year it has become one of the best rated escape rooms in the country.

In addition, the Escape Rooms has grown further into the Chesterfield Games Quarter, featuring VR and retro gaming offers for visitors alongside the Geeks HQ, which hosts regular trading card tournaments, board game events and much more.

Nick Hogan, founder and owner of Chesterfield Escape Rooms commented: “Wow, what a year after opening in the middle of a pandemic! We have had just on 10,000 players and unbelievably achieved the number 1 Escape Room in the UK according to Trip Advisor! Our intention was to get into the top 50 but to achieve the number 1 spot when there are 800 Escape Business in town is a real coup.”

Mr Hogan also explained how pleased he was to be providing a unique and modern visitor offer to Chesterfield’s historic town centre: “I for one am delighted to have opened in the town centre, giving something back to the town I have called home for 20 years. We believe in the region of 30% of our players have come from outside of town and most will stay for drinks and food elsewhere therefore contributing to the wider hospitality sector.  When we opened in May 2021, our building was unused and pretty derelict so its great to see something vibrant shine from something so run down.”

Speaking on the expansion into the innovative ‘games quarter’ attraction, Nick said: “The Games quarter is quite unique in that its a collaboration of 4 local businesses coming together in one space to offer lots of different gaming requirements. We have started offering cross business party packages for groups of varying sizes which has proved so popular so far.

“In the early days of opening, there was a government employment scheme called Kickstart and I focused very much on this. I initially employed 6 Kickstarters, who were people under 24 who had been unemployed for over 6 months. 12 months later 4 ex Kickstarters are now on our payroll as permanent employees. We have employed over 30 people in 21/22 so far and everyone of them has contributed to our success, I cant thank them enough.”

Nick is encouraging people in Chesterfield and beyond to keep an eye on further developments at the Games Quarter and Escape Rooms, with further plans to refresh the attractions to keep people coming back for more.

He said: “We try to refresh the games as often as possible, so having started with 3 titles we have had 5 in operation over the year. We are also considering adding least one new title this year as well as a new Xmas game from November. For those people that have played all of our physical rooms, well maybe its time they tried some of our state of the art Virtual Reality rooms as these are proving very popular and getting rave reviews!”

Chesterfield Escape Rooms supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Workpays Founder Helen Richardson Becomes an MBE

Helen Richardson, Founder of Workpays, has been awarded with an MBE for Service to Young People During the Pandemic, and was presented with her award at Windsor Castle last month.

Throughout the pandemic, Workpays remained open throughout the pandemic going above and beyond to offer extended pastoral services to our participants, in addition to skills and employability delivery. After creating an online learning platform from scratch in less than a month, we provided a laptop and WiFi dongles to those participants without the equipment to access online learning and virtual classes, these were hand delivered to their homes.

Anne Wright, Managing Director of Workpays said, “We are delighted to congratulate Helen for being awarded an MBE, it is an exceptional accolade that highlights the valuable work undertaken at Workpays during the pandemic. I’m extremely proud that the Workpays family became fully united and focused to continue our service and offer excellent support to our young people at a extraordinarily challenging time for them.”

Alex Glasner, Managing Director, said, “This is a huge accolade for Helen and Workpays and testament to the work our team put in day in day out. Workpays will always put our learners first no matter what the circumstances.”

As a skills provider in Chesterfield, Workpays helps people to access the skills & training needed to gain employment.

The company provides Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge to parents, teachers & students and assists employers to develop their workforce through work-based learning and apprenticeships.

Workpays has offices in Derby, Coventry, Chesterfield, Kettering, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Hinckley, Redditch, Corby & Market Harborough.

Find out more about the wide range of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield, along with the Made In Chesterfield scheme, which enables school pupils to gain first-hand experience of construction, manufacturing and engineering by taking part in site visits at local businesses.

Workpays supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Workpays Directors – Helen Richardson pictured centre

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Plans for Sensory Hub outlined by Chesterfield FC

Chesterfield Football Club has announced that plans for a Sensory Hub at the Technique Stadium are well underway.

Jane Cooper, who is a director of the club and a trustee of the Community Trust, has played an instrumental role in the project. She was a guest on BBC Radio Sheffield earlier this week to talk about the plans.

The Chesterfield FC Community Trust Sensory Hub is a stand-alone building which will be located opposite the entrance to Chester’s Den. It will be a safe, quiet space with sensory equipment and sensory lighting. There will also be a Sensory Garden to the rear.

The Hub is intended for the use of autistic people who need a quiet space to retreat from the noisy, often chaotic environment of a football ground. It will also benefit autistic people and people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the wider community. It will support autistic youngsters to access the Community Trust’s activities and alternative education provision.

It will be a community resource, open for members of the wider community to hire on an hourly basis and will be a welcome alternative to Chester’s Den who find the play centre environment challenging.

Why is the Sensory Hub needed?

• Autistic people can often be overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells of the world around them and they can become ‘overloaded’ with information.

• This can lead to a ‘meltdown’ or ‘shutdown’ often meaning that they find it difficult to access busy and noisy environments such as a football stadium.

• This impacts on their life and that of their family, friends and those who support them.

The design of the Sensory Hub has been agreed and will be supplied by Rise Adapt. The club has planning permission from the local authority who have commended this provision. Chesterfield FC Community Trust is now applying to funding bodies for the circa £60,000 it will cost to create the Sensory Hub and the sensory garden to the rear. Other fundraising initiatives are likely to follow.

A statement on the Chesterfield FC Community Trust website said: “Chesterfield FC’s vision is to be THE most accessible football club in the country and providing the Sensory Hub will be a step towards achieving this vision. The Football Association motto is ‘For All’ and we intend to make that a reality.

“In the longer term we want to create a quiet viewing area of the pitch on matchdays. A full access audit of the site is underway which will identify other ways in which we can improve.”

Chesterfield Football Club supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Largest council housing development in a generation set to welcome new families

Local families are set to move into their new homes after works on the biggest council housing development in the borough since the 1980s are complete.

A £4.1m development has seen 21 brand new properties constructed on the former Brockwell Court site in Loundsley Green – the latest development as part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s commitment to increasing the supply of affordable and accessible homes across the town.

The new development, named Badger Croft, comprises of ten two-bedroom houses, six three-bedroom houses, four four-bedroom houses and one three-bedroom bungalow – all of which will be let to local families on the council’s housing resister.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, cabinet member for housing, said: “We’re pleased to see that this development is complete and ready to welcome families to their new homes. It’s the biggest council housing development of this generation, so it’s a huge milestone in our efforts to increase the housing supply across the borough.

“Creating attractive places for people to live is at the heart of what we do and these new properties will provide affordable, modern and accessible homes for families in our borough.”

In response to the climate emergency that was declared by council leaders in July 2019, the council is committed to ensuring that all its housing stock is as energy efficient as possible.

Councillor Ludlow added: “It’s really important that new developments in the borough take account of environmental issues – contributing to a more sustainable future for us all.

“Living in a warm and energy efficient home is not only better for our planet, it will also reduce costs to run the property, offering affordable warmth to our tenants.”

Each of the new properties has increased levels of insulation throughout and electric vehicle charging points have been installed on properties with driveways to support lower carbon transport options.

Whilst works were ongoing on site, the council’s main contractor, Henry Boot Construction, worked with the local Holmebrook Conservation and Improvement Group to complete additional landscaping works and environmental improvements close to the new development that will help to enhance the wider local community. This included the creation of wildflower meadows and planting that will help boost biodiversity and support pollinators.

Ryan O’Loughlin, Director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “As a local contractor, it has been a pleasure working with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver an exceptional development. Residential is a sector of strategic importance for Henry Boot Construction and this adds to our impressive portfolio of high-quality schemes.”

The council’s Local Plan encourages all schemes costing over £1m to include a work of art to the value of 1% of the total cost of the project, as part of the ‘Percentage for Art’ scheme which the council has operated since 1994.

This has been reflected with the development at Badger Croft where the council approached artists to submit proposals for an art installation that embraced a Badger theme associated with the area. After proposals were submitted, and through vigorous debate, local councillors made the decision to go with Coralie Turpin, who designed a 3.4m tall steel structure and then created a handmade mosaic design incorporating badgers and celebrating nature.

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