Development

Chesterfield Borough Council receives support from Re-opening the High Street Safely Fund

19th June 2020

Chesterfield Borough Council has received £92,500 in funding from the Re-opening the High Street Safely Fund.

The funding is primarily for use in Chesterfield town centre, but can also be used to support the re-opening of other district shopping areas such as Staveley town centre, Chatsworth Road and Whittington Moor.

The Government has allocated the funding from the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020, to help support the process of reopening England’s high streets safely. The European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.

The funding, which will be used in collaboration with Destination Chesterfield, will help implement new measures to encourage the safe re-opening of Chesterfield town centre considering the challenges presented by Covid-19 and the need to promote and maintain safe social distancing.

Some of the funding will also be used for communication and public information campaigns to market the town centre and the borough as a place to visit and to encourage more and more people to shop local. More information about how the funding will be spent will be announced over the coming weeks.

Dom Stevens, Manager of Destination Chesterfield, said: “Businesses and organisations across Chesterfield have shown great resilience during the lockdown period. Experiences with our Chesterfield Champions and other local companies has shown that businesses are keen to pull together and come out the other side of the coronavirus pandemic stronger than ever.”

He added: “The Destination Chesterfield team will continue to promote the Shop Local message over the coming months and to support retailers in their recovery.”

Launched in April by Destination Chesterfield, the Supporting Local website has helped Chesterfield’s independent businesses and service providers continue to operate and supply their services and products during lockdown.

Chesterfield Borough Council has already used some of the funding on signage and road and pavement markings to support shoppers to maintain safe social distancing around the outdoor market, market hall and Chesterfield town centre.

Click here to find out more about Destination Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Two new units announced at Markham Vale in £25 million deal

15th June 2020

Work to build two large new industrial units has started at Derbyshire County Council and HBD’s flagship regeneration site Markham Vale, signalling confidence in Derbyshire’s future economic prospects.

Aver Property Partnership Limited, a joint venture between Ergo and NFU Mutual, is building the 2 units at Markham Vale, off junction M1 29a, in a £25 million deal.

The units, measuring 221,518 square feet and 75,000 square feet, are being built on the north side of the business and logistics park and will be available to purchase or lease. Construction of the 2 units will be carried out by Derbyshire-based firm Bowmer and Kirkland.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said: “This investment in Markham Vale shows a great level of confidence in the Derbyshire economy and its potential for growth.”

“As we continue our work to support local businesses to recover from the downturn brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important that we continue to provide new opportunities for investment, bringing the potential for new jobs and helping to keep the economy moving.”

“This deal sends a strong signal to other investors that Derbyshire is a place that helps businesses to survive and thrive and I’m pleased that the construction contract has been awarded to a local business providing a further boost for the area and the local economy.”

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD, said: “Both investors and occupiers are attracted by the high-quality build available at Markham Vale, combined with our proactive, partnership-led approach to development and proven track-record of delivering on time and to budget.”

Click here to find out more about Markham Vale

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home

Supporting Chesterfield retailers is vital for our local economy

12th June 2020

After many long weeks of lockdown we are at last starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. We are also discovering what may be the ‘new normal’.

Social distancing is becoming a way of life, and for a friendly town like Chesterfield, this is something people can’t find easy or natural. However, I feel positive about the prospects for the town’s economic recovery following a recent report compiled by the Local Data Company.

According to the report, Chesterfield is one of the UK’s most resilient town centres in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that we could recover more quickly from lockdown than other towns and cities.

Our resilience is attributed to the fact that we have a high percentage of essential retail which has still been able to trade during the pandemic, including market stall holders such as Ibbotson’s, and Market Hall traders like Cheese Factor and Elliot RB & Son. This has helped maintain the strength of the local economy.

Having an open air market has also put us in good stead for the re-opening of the town as it can be easily reconfigured to allow for social distancing. As it did more than 800 years ago, Chesterfield’s open air market is once again breathing life into the town centre.

While much of our shopping has had to be done online during the lockdown period, it has made many of us realise the importance of the social aspect of shopping, and the ability to ‘shop local’. We miss the opportunity to bump into friends and acquaintances and enjoy the sights and sounds of the town centre while out shopping.

During lockdown we have truly witnessed Chesterfield become a ghost town through no fault of our own. We should treat this experience as a warning, just like Charles Dickens’ the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. With an empty town centre during lockdown, people have had a real chance to see what may happen if they choose not to shop local, and to make use of the facilities which are available.

Local businesses have been a lifeline to many people during the lockdown period. As the town’s market and shops re-open as we ease out of lockdown, keep in mind the importance of these businesses – they offer a shopping experience that you just can’t get online. Make shopping local part of your new normal.

Click here to view the Destination Chesterfield Supporting Local pages

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Visiting

Chesterfield Borough Council announce discretionary grants for local businesses

5th June 2020

Chesterfield Borough Council has been awarded £1.27 million from the Government to provide discretionary grants to local businesses who were not eligible to receive funding from the Small Business Grant or Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Funds.

Councillor Jean Innes, Chesterfield Borough Council’s, cabinet member for Business Transformation and Customers, said: “We have already paid out over £24 million in business support grants to over 2100 Chesterfield businesses to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic and 661 businesses have received business rates relief worth over £18 million.

“Chesterfield Borough Council’s new discretionary scheme will provide the opportunity for more local businesses to receive grant support, particularly those with high property-related costs and who have struggled to trade during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The new grant scheme opens on Friday 5 June 2020 and closes for applications on 17 June 2020.

Small businesses can apply for grants of up to £25,000, though the council expects that most grant payments will be in the range of £2,500 to £10,000. The following types of businesses are eligible for this new grant:

Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces; for example, business/industrial parks and incubator offices which do not have their own business rates assessment
Regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment but have fixed building costs, such as rent
Bed and Breakfast accommodation providers who are registered as a food business within Chesterfield Borough Council and pay Council Tax instead of Business Rates
Charities in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for small business rates relief

To apply for this new grant scheme businesses must:

Have been the occupier of a property with a trading address in Chesterfield borough used wholly or mainly for business purposes on 11 March 2020
Employ fewer than 50 people
Have a rateable value or annual rent or mortgage of below £51,000
Be able to evidence relatively high ongoing fixed building costs
Be able to demonstrate that they have had a significant drop in income due to the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions
Be able to demonstrate the business is their sole or primary source of income

In order to apply you will need to download and complete an application form from the Chesterfield Borough Council website and provide the necessary supporting evidence. You will then need to submit it electronically via the council’s secure document management system on their website.

Further information on how to apply, criteria and evidence required is available here: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/your-council/coronavirus-information-hub/businesses-information.aspx#hub_discretionary_grants_local

If you have any further questions about these grants please contact the team by emailing discretionarygrants@chesterfield.gov.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Chesterfield business expands despite Covid-19 industry setbacks

2nd June 2020

Chesterfield-based mortgage advice firm Mortgage 1st have continued their ambitions growth plans with the recruitment of two new Mortgage Advisers, despite huge setbacks and disruption to both the financial services industry and the housing market due to Covid-19.

Two new advisers have just completed their ‘virtual’ induction and will be authorised to start looking after clients by the end of May. A further three new Advisers have also recently accepted a position at Mortgage 1st and once their applications are complete the Adviser head count will reach 20 by the end of the year.

Mortgage 1st was established in 2008 by Jon Stones at his dining table. His passion and hard work over the years has seen his team grow from a one-man-band to a strong and capable team of 28 today. Jon has ambitious future plans for Mortgage 1st and even a global pandemic hasn’t stood in his way in continuing with the recruitment and growth of his team.

Mortgage 1st has always offered ‘remote advice’ meaning everything can be done on email, Zoom or over the phone. As well as the Chesterfield based head office team, over half of the advisers work remotely and are based all over the UK. This has meant that they have seen very little disruption and have been able to continue working as normal for their customers during the last few uncertain months.

The Mortgage 1st head office has been closed for the duration of lockdown, their team were set up to work from home safely from day 1 meaning it’s been business as usual for their clients. The team have stayed in touch with one another using video and conference calls and were even able to conduct a virtual 2-day induction course for their new advisers.

Lisa Stones, HR & Marketing Director at Mortgage 1st (below) said: “We are delighted to be welcoming two new faces to the team who bring years of experience with them. Continued growth is a huge part of our company vision and even though we have had to adapt quickly, like all businesses have, during the past few months this hasn’t stopped us, we’ve just become more virtual!”

Since some of the housing market restrictions were lifted earlier this month Mortgage 1st have already seen a large spike in new enquires as the property market safely kick starts. This is great news for the industry, for house buyers & sellers and for the economy in general.

Click here to read more about Mortgage 1st

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Chesterfield Borough Council issue Business Grants update

28th May 2020

Under the Government’s business grants scheme, Chesterfield Borough Council has now processed more than £22.9 million of payments to almost 2,000 local businesses.

This represents most of the businesses that the council believe are eligible for the scheme, but there are still some local businesses that haven’t yet applied.

Councillor Terry Gilby (right), Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, said: “We want to help as many local businesses as possible to claim the grant support to which they are entitled to, but we need you to get in touch. Please let us have your application form, so that we can check out your eligibility and process your payment as soon as possible.”

Grants are available for:

any business that receives small business rate relief
retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000

You can find the application form and more details about the grant and other support packages for business here.

Once completed, please return your application form to revenues.billing@chesterfield.gov.uk

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

Local residents invited to help name new Wingerworth development

28th May 2020

Local residents in are being invited by housebuilder Rippon Homes to name a new development of homes in Wingerworth.

The development located on Deerlands Road will comprise 180 properties, split over four phases. Each phase requires a title as well as the overall development. This is the second development Rippon has built in the village having provided 51 high quality new homes at Kings Meadow also on Deerlands Road back in 2015.

The mix of two, three and four bedroom homes will help meet the demand for starter and affordable homes in the area, allowing younger and expanding families to return to Wingerworth and support local facilities such as the schools, village hall, health facilities and local retail businesses.

Carefully designed to blend with the existing homes in the village with a mixture of two-storey properties and bungalows, the new Rippon homes will still boast modern interiors and features alongside the thoughtfully designed exterior designs which benefit from off road parking and electric car charging points.

The village itself offers an excellent range of amenities including shops, pubs, communal facilities and well- reputed schools available for a range of age groups from nursery to secondary grades.

Ian Dyke, Managing Director at Rippon Homes said, “We are very pleased to be bringing our quality homes to Wingerworth once again and look forward to selecting the perfect name to reflect that.”

“We know Wingerworth has a very close knit community and the new development will become an integral part of the village life, hence it was a natural decision to invite local people to name it!”

Entries should be submitted to ripponhomes@unsworthsugden.co.uk by Monday 22nd June 2020. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number alongside your name suggestion and reason behind it.

Rippon is hosting a public consultation for the development online for the first time via its website on Friday 29th May 2020, which can be accessed here.

Feedback can be given via the online form and the plans are available to view on the web page as they would be if we were having a physical event.

You can view the Site Plan & Street Scenes here.

Images credit: Rippon Homes

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure

Custom Solar completes a further installation project at Port of Southampton

21st May 2020

Chesterfield’s Custom Solar has successfully and safely completed another solar project working closely with Associated British Ports (ABP) at the Port of Southampton.

Despite the impact of Covid-19, the 120kWp solar system was successfully installed on the Ocean Terminal Coach Canopy within 6 working days, incorporating amended safe systems of work and social distancing measures.

The project is an extension to the existing 1.7mW previously installed by Custom Solar across multiple buildings on the port including the main Ocean Terminal, this means Solar is now providing over 20% of annual electrical demand.

The Port of Southampton is the nation’s second largest and most efficient container port, as well as the UK’s number one for cars and cruise. In 2016, ABP and its customers handled 89 million tonnes of cargo. They support 119,000 jobs and contribute £7.5 billion to the UK economy every year.

Custom Solar operate and maintain all of the systems across the port providing live monitoring via their own bespoke monitoring solution, full reactive maintenance and annual scheduled service visits.

Matthew Brailsford, MD of Custom Solar, said: “Once again we are very proud to be supporting ABP in the quest to source the majority of their power from solar energy, it proves what at integral role solar has in our energy future. This project is all the more amazing as we delivered it during a global pandemic and amended the entire way in which we approach our construction sites. It’s truly been a fantastic effort by the team.”

You can find out more about the project on the Case Studies section of Custom Solar’s website here.

Click here to find out more about Custom Solar

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Chesterfield chosen as home of new engineering business

20th May 2020

A new project management firm, Aspire Engineered Solutions, has opened within Chesterfield’s Tapton Park Innovation Centre.

The company specialises in complete project management including worldwide equipment installation, design & assembly services, service and preventative maintenance, overflow production facilities, plant efficiency surveys and sourcing experienced project staff.

Martyn Harness, Managing Director, told Destination Chesterfield: “One of our goals is to use local skilled labour to assist us in our installation projects both in the UK and worldwide. We are also keen to forge relationships with customers in Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.”

Aspire Engineered Solutions is currently helping to design a new medical facility in the Dominican Republic (below). The company will also be supplying the materials and labour for the project, with installation set to continue once travel restrictions are lifted. Their teams have previously worked on projects in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Vietnam, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, North & South America.

As well as their new office space, the company also has plans to open a workshop in Chesterfield within the next year.

Jim Love, Director of Site Operations, said: “We believe setting up a new business in Chesterfield will give us the staffing and engineering resources we need to be a success.”

Jim added: “We pride our business on our reliability and providing top notch customer service. Life is hard enough and we don’t like seeing customers struggle, we are here to help!”

To find out more about Aspire Engineered Solutions, visit their website here.

Chesterfield Innovation Centres, including Tapton Park Innovation Centre and Dunston Innovation Centre, are managed by Chesterfield Borough Council and are designed to assist small to medium sized businesses to successfully innovate and grow.

Click here to find out more about available commercial property in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Funding for part of Chesterfield Station Masterplan approved

20th May 2020

D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, has approved a £3.8m grant towards the construction of the Hollis Lane Link Road in Chesterfield.

The £7.42m project will form a critical part of the Chesterfield Station Masterplan, bringing forward wholescale regeneration and supporting sustainable economic growth in the centre of Chesterfield. This regeneration will include new commercial development, as well as significantly improved connectivity.

D2N2 will be funding the development through its Local Growth Fund allocation, an investment programme to support projects that benefit the regional economy.

The funding for the Hollis Lane Link Road follows similar awards for infrastructure projects that benefit Chesterfield residents including the A61 Corridor, HS2-related development, and the Chesterfield Higher Level Skills Centre worth a combined £10.57m.

The new Hollis Lane Link Road will extend from the junction of Hollis Lane and Spa Lane and will terminate at the southern extent of the Chesterfield Station car park, providing direct access to the railway station from the south.

Furthermore, the Hollis Lane Link Road will unlock 0.92 hectares of early development plots within the Chesterfield Station Masterplan area which it is hoped will lead to over 500 jobs being created by businesses moving into the new development.

Remedial works are due to begin in September 2020 with work expected to be completed by late 2021.

D2N2 Chair Elizabeth Fagan CBE said: “Our investment into the construction of the Hollis Lane Link Road will be another important milestone for Chesterfield’s regeneration ambitions, bringing significant growth and investment opportunities whilst creating more homes, jobs, and learning places.”

“D2N2 is pleased to support investment in our town centres to stimulate economic growth which will be central to supporting the region’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Simon Spencer, said: “The Hollis Lane Link is a great example of the ambitious work now being undertaken by the Joint Growth Board.”

“It is a key part of the Chesterfield Masterplan which will bring a range of economic benefits to the town and surrounding area.”

The Joint Growth Board is body set up between Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council tasked with delivering key regeneration projects which will aid the borough’s growth strategy.

Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Councillor Tricia Gilby, said: “The Hollis Lane Link road adds value to the work we are already doing on the emerging station masterplan, which is a significant project for Chesterfield and northern Derbyshire’s economy.”

“We are in the process of finalising the station master plan and will be undertaking public consultation later this year.”

“The station masterplan will define our aspirations for the economic future of the area and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to maximise this huge opportunity for Chesterfield Borough and beyond.”

Click here to find out more about HS2 and the Chesterfield Station Masterplan

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Grants available for Derbyshire Visitor Economy Businesses

18th May 2020

Visitor economy businesses in Derbyshire are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to rebuild their business and develop valuable digital assets in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire is offering business grants to support a range of activities such as website development, new photography, the creation of virtual tours and the implementation of cashless payment systems to help businesses bounce back and drive the recovery of the sector.

The grant programme is part of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire’s European Regional Development Fund project, and has been recently updated to reflect new business needs that have emerged as a result of the current climate.

Alongside digitalisation, grants of £1,000 to £10,000 are also available in the following areas:

Accessibility – e.g. accessible equipment and facilities for people with disabilities.
Environmental – e.g. electric car charging points, e-bikes or a water system for use by visitors that replaces the need for plastic bottles.
Cycling – e.g. secure cycle storage and maintenance equipment for use by visitors.
Internationalisation – e.g. website translation or the implementation of online booking/cashless payment systems to encourage international visitors.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, said: “I’m delighted that we are able to offer this funding through our European Regional Development Fund project. Derbyshire’s tourism industry is incredibly important to the local economy and these grants will enable businesses to rebuild and bounce back stronger than ever.

Jo added: “Grants are available for things such as online booking systems and virtual tours, which are both key in the current climate and will help to enrich the area’s tourism offer and power our recovery plans. I would urge businesses to visit the website for more information and get your applications in as soon as possible.”

Businesses applying for the funding must meet the following criteria:

They must be part of the visitor economy and its supply chain, including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.
They must be located in Derbyshire.
They must have less than 250 employees.
They will need to demonstrate how the grant funding will help their business to become more competitive and support the area’s wider visitor economy.

Successful applicants will receive a 50% grant towards the cost of the overall project, with a minimum 50% grant contribution being £1,000 and the maximum £10,000.

A free webinar providing more details on the business grants programme is being held on Thursday 21 May.

Eligible businesses can register their interest for a grant now at https://business-grants-scheme.eventbrite.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting