Development

Premier Inn get the keys to new hotel

The multi-million-pound transformation of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way in Chesterfield has been completed by Jomast Developments.

The fully accessible 92-bed hotel, which is located in the building’s upper two floors, has now been handed over to Premier Inn ahead of its opening by the hotel chain on 11 April 2019.

Occupying a pivotal site in the town centre, Elder Way is a landmark mixed-use leisure scheme, which is breathing life into the town’s famous 1930s, Mock-Tudor former Co-op.

The building was acquired by Jomast Developments in 2016 with work on the new hotel beginning last year. As part of the transformation, the building’s exterior has been restored to its former glory.

Premier Inn is the first occupier of the building and paves the way for Jomast to now transform the basement and ground floor into leisure and hospitality space.

Jomast is one of the UK’s leading property development, investment and regeneration specialists. The Chesterfield site is the company’s first development in Derbyshire.

Commenting on the handover to Premier Inn, Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast Developments said: “I am delighted that we have been able to preserve such an iconic building in Chesterfield. The position and location of the site at times has been challenging but our ongoing collaboration with Chesterfield Borough Council has enabled us to bring this much-loved building back into use. I am confident that Premier Inn will be a welcome addition to the town centre and the Northern Gateway Scheme.”

Marie Dukes-Brown, New Openings Project Manager for Premier Inn, said: “We have been seeking a presence in Chesterfield town centre for many years.  Being a few days away from opening our doors is a really exciting moment for us, and we can’t wait to welcome the first guests to our latest format Premier Inn in the heart of town.

“Premier Inn hotels in market towns like Chesterfield trade really well.  They appeal to a broad mix of business and leisure travellers throughout the year and as our style of accommodation is so flexible, we find that many of our guests eat and drink out when they stay with us, helping to support established businesses.

“Playing a positive role locally, including creating new jobs, and helping to bring the former Co-op store back to life is a win-win for us and we look forward to playing our part in the future success of the town centre.”

Thirty-eight jobs have been created at the new hotel, however jobs will be delivered by the Elder Way development as a whole once completed by Jomast.

Work will now begin on the transformation of the 16,000 sq ft basement and 21,000 sq ft ground floor area into leisure space which Jomast is targeting at independent operators. The ground floor units will all benefit from their own shop fronts/entrances. Additionally, Jomast will be creating a new courtyard area for outside eating/drinking. Chesterfield Borough Council will also shortly begin work to refurbish the public realm to the Elder Way frontage and widen public footpaths.

Mark added: “We are now in a position to move forward with phase 2 of Elder Way and the transformation of the basement and ground floor into self-contained units. We anticipate high interest from lifestyle and hospitality operators based in Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.”

The development is part of the Chesterfield Borough Council-led Northern Gateway scheme which will also see a new multi-storey car park completed later this year and work will begin on a new enterprise centre for small to medium sized businesses on part of the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Find out more about the development at Elder Way and the other commercial opportunities available.

Premier Inn Chesterfield

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

Work has started for latest investor at Markham Vale

Work has started on Sheffield-based Protec International’s new site, which is set to create up to 45 new jobs at Markham Vale.Protec International is the leading supplier of flame retardant temporary protection materials approved by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) to the construction industry.

Stephen Cox, Managing Director of Protec International, said:

“We look forward to moving into our new base at Markham Vale later this year, pushing ahead with our growth plans which will create up to 45 new jobs across both phases. The location couldn’t be better for accessing the national motorway network, and will allow us to continue delivering our range of building protection solutions to our construction industry clients on a next-day basis.”

The firm’s new warehouse and offices will be in addition to a number of bases across the country.

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

“It was great to meet Protec and visit where their new base will be at Markham Vale and we’re pleased work is now underway.“The firm will be a fantastic addition to the site and it’s great to hear they’re looking to create up to 45 new jobs for local people too.“Markham’s excellent location off Junction 29A of the M1 will be great for Protec and we’re pleased that the site continues to attract a range of companies that can grow and thrive there.”

The firm’s new 5.39 acre base with opportunity to expand is set to be completed by September and will be designed and built by the county council’s private sector property partner, Henry Boot Developments (HBD) on Markham Vale North.

Andrew Priestley, Development Surveyor at Henry Boot Developments (HBD), said:

“It’s great to see work starting on site – with its combination of high-quality, purpose-built property and an unrivalled location and transport links, we’ve no doubt that Markham Vale will prove the ideal base for Protec as the business grows and continues to expand its team. Working to a 26-week timeline, we look forward to completing the Protec development in September.”

Plots of up to 15 acres are still available at Derbyshire County Council and Henry Boot Developments’ flagship regeneration site and can accommodate flexible design and build unit options up to 300,000 sq ft.

Find out more about Markham Vale

Markham Vale

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Amazon to create 200 new permanent jobs with the opening of a new fulfilment centre in Chesterfield

Amazon today announced plans to open a new fulfilment centre in Chesterfield and begin recruitment for more than 200 new permanent jobs.   Amazon’s new investment will help meet customer demand, expand selection and enable SMEs selling on Amazon Marketplace to scale their businesses.

“We are delighted to open a new Amazon building in Chesterfield and begin recruitment for more than 200 new permanent roles with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one,” said Stefano Perego, Amazon’s VP of UK Customer Fulfilment. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming a new team, who will play a crucial role in delivering a first rate level of service for our customers.”

Amazon fulfilment centre employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits from day one. Pay starts at £10.50 in the London area and £9.50 for the rest of the UK for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees working in the company’s fulfilment centres. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than £700 annually, as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon Chesterfield

Amazon also offers employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.

Bolsover District Council’s Chief Executive Dan Swaine said, “This is great news and welcome boost for the area. This new warehouse will create 200 permanent jobs in the area, meaning significant opportunities for local people and to attract a company like Amazon is good news for the local economy and the future of the District.”

Amazon has started recruiting for a range of new roles for the fulfillment centre, which will be located in Barlborough, including operations managers, engineers, HR and IT specialists.  Recruitment for the Amazon team in Chesterfield who will pick, pack and ship customer orders will begin later this year. People interested in applying for jobs at Amazon should visit www.myamazonjob.com/fulfillment-centers/chesterfield

Chesterfield and North Derbyshire is centrally located and continues to attract high profile fulfillment and distributions operations to the area.  To find out more about investing in the area visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/invest

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield reveals plans to create a successful post digital high street

Chesterfield has the raw ingredients to adapt and thrive in the face of the national ‘retail apocalypse,’ claims the new owner of the town’s Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, ALTERIS.

“People still want shops, but,” said Bert Broadhead, director of ALTERIS, “curating them better and creating a personalised experience for town centre visitors is the key to a successful post digital high street.”

Mr Broadhead was speaking at the town’s popular annual Celebrate Chesterfield event, organised by Destination Chesterfield, and held on Wednesday 20 March at the Winding Wheel.

 

The property fund company now has ambitious plans to transform the town’s Vicar Lane Shopping Centre which it bought out of administration last month. It plans to create ‘a new town centre retail model for the post e-commerce world’.

He added: “Chesterfield is already ahead of many town centres in the UK in terms of delivering a town centre experience to visitors. People no longer want identical, faceless town centres. They want a variety and mix of shops – both chain and independent stores as well as events which can engage the whole family.”

Plans to develop Vicar Lane have been driven using Facebook, which ALTERIS is using to engage the local community and help them inform the redevelopment of the shopping centre.

Colour, seating, events and high speed internet are all set to be introduced to Vicar Lane Shopping Centre over the next six months. ALTERIS has also identified independent retailers as being key to the future success of the shopping centre.

Proposed Vicar Lane Improvements

Appealing to independent retailers attending the packed event, Bert added: “We want to work with local, independent retailers and have made a number of units available with short term flexible leases to support them.” Work on the new look Vicar Lane will start later this year.

Supporting the drive to regenerate Chesterfield town centre, Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council revealed that the council will be submitting an application to the government’s Future High Streets Fund to sustain and grow footfall on the high street. As part of the funding bid, Chesterfield Borough Council plans to introduce universal Wi-Fi provision across the town centre.

He said: “Our retail occupancy levels are holding up well – 92 per cent compared to 88 per cent nationally, however, it’s a journey and we need to keep going.”

Huw explained: “UK shopping habits have changed and Chesterfield is responding well to this in the town centre masterplan by encouraging more people to live within the town centre and create that all important footfall and buzz. We want to make Chesterfield town centre a very desirable place to live, work, play and do business.”

Last year the council approved plans to convert the former magistrates court into 32 apartments, create 10 apartments at 1-3 Knifesmithgate, demolish the former headquarters of North East Derbyshire District Council to make way for 64 retirement homes, and convert the historic building at 87 New Square into nine luxury apartments.

Celebrate Chesterfield, now in its ninth year, is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area. This year the free breakfast event attracted nearly 300 delegates.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “We must not underestimate the power of town centre living to increase footfall to enable us to adapt to the changing face of retail.

“Chesterfield is a town of opportunity and we have the partners and collaboration in place to drive forward our ambitions to not only deliver our current development plans but also attract further investment.”

The University of Derby was this year’s headline sponsor with Central Technology and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, as associate sponsors.

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

 

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

Chesterfield’s Premier Inn development offers employment to local people

Chesterfield College and Premier Inn have joined together to offer a sector based work academy offering work experience opportunities for local people to gain the skills they need to be offered employment at the new 92 bed hotel on Elder Way which is soon to be handed over by Jomast Developments when work is completed in transforming the former department store.

Sixty local people joined the academy which is supported by Chesterfield Borough Council with a guaranteed interview at the end of the course. Of these, 20 were offered jobs at the hotel.

Councillor Terry Gilby, cabinet member for economic growth: said “One of the council’s key priorities is to create a thriving borough.”

“For a long period after the Chesterfield Co-operative closed down we had an empty, derelict building. Jomast Developments is in the process of completely transforming it into a 92 bed Premier Inn hotel which is offering new jobs for local people which is positive news for the borough.”

Lee Kirton, Chesterfield College’s work skills delivery manager, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for local people. We’ve been working with the local Job Centre Plus and the borough council to put on a sector-based work academy.

“It’s been a fantastic success for the learners, ourselves and the local Job Centre Plus.”

Mark Hill, commercial property director of Jomast Developments, which is leading the transformation of the former Co-operative department store, said:

“Although not yet complete, the new Premier Inn will be a fantastic environment for the new team to work in. It’s light, airy and contemporary. The team and I are looking forward to handing over the building to Premier Inn shortly.”

Further jobs will be created in the former Co-operative department store in when work is completed by Jomast Developments on the basement and ground floor of the building into leisure and dining space.

The development is part of the Chesterfield Borough Council-led Northern Gateway development which will also see a new Saltergate multi-storey car park and a new enterprise centre for small to medium sized businesses on part of the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Find out more about the Northern Gateway

Premier Inn Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Work progressing on multi-storey car park

Work is progressing well on Chesterfield Borough Council’s new Saltergate multi-storey car park, ahead of its opening this summer.

Work is now being carried out to pour the concrete that creates the decks of the new car park.

With 526 spaces, the new car park will be open 24 hours, have wider spaces and more disabled spaces than the previous car park it replaces and will also have six electric vehicle charging points with the option to add a further ten according to the demand.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “It’s exciting to see the new car park nearing completion. The work has been carried out to programme and to budget.

“People using the car park will notice a real difference with 24 hour secure parking and better facilities. The car park will be open to the public as well as serving the new Premier Inn hotel on Elder Way.”

The new car park is built as part of the Northern Gateway development which includes the privately-led Premier Inn hotel and street improvements to Elder Way and Knifesmithgate.

Work is also due to begin in the coming months on Chesterfield Borough Council’s enterprise centre on part of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park. The main works are scheduled to begin after the the Saltergate multi-storey car park is complete.

For more information, click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Council supports local businesses through business rates relief scheme

Chesterfield businesses are saving more than £1 million in business rates in a scheme administered by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The Government announced in the budget last October it will provide a business rates retail discount scheme for occupied retail premises with a rateable value of less than £51,000 in each of the financial years 2019/20 and 2020/21.

The value of discount should be one third of the bill, and must be applied after mandatory reliefs and other discretionary reliefs have been applied.

The council administers the business rates relief as part of the discretionary rate scheme, offering the relief to around 362 businesses in the borough, saving them a total of around £1,088,520.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “Creating a thriving borough is one of the council’s key priorities, which is why we have contacted all eligible local businesses to make sure they have taken advantage of the business rates reliefs they are entitled to.“

“This is one of a number of measures including the Local Labour clause that we take to support businesses in the borough.”

The council has adopted a Local Labour clause in every major planning application it accepts, which requires developers to provide a strategy that uses materials supplied by local companies. This has meant that local suppliers have benefitted from potentially more than £2.3 million worth of business.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Visiting

Increase in grant funding for construction apprentices

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) announced a major boost in funding to help employers take on construction apprentices.

From 1 April, CITB’s attendance grants to employers will increase to £2,500 per year, while achievement grants will rise to £3,500 for companies whose apprentice successfully completes their training.

This is an overall funding increase from £10,250 to £14,500 for each apprentice an employer takes on – an uplift of over 30% on existing rates.

CITB has decided to increase employer funding at a time when construction apprenticeships are falling. This is due to factors such as economic uncertainty caused by Brexit and employers adjusting to new apprenticeship reforms, including the Apprenticeship Levy.

But construction needs many more learners not only starting, but completing their apprenticeships and joining the workforce. CITB’s forecast shows the industry needs to fill some 168,500 new jobs over the next five years, and to grow much more of its own domestic workforce, given likely limits on future access to migrant workers.

Stephen Radley, CITB Director of Strategy and Policy said: “We know that taking on an apprentice is a big investment for employers who have seen the cost of doing this go up significantly in recent years.”

“These grant increases are designed to help employers of all sizes take on apprentices and ensure those learners complete their courses.”

“CITB support isn’t just about money, but we believe that this major rise in grant funding will improve both apprenticeship starts and completions in our sector.”

This announcement follows extensive consultation with employers across Great Britain through discussions, online surveys and feedback from employer events. In the coming weeks, CITB will share further measures to support apprenticeships in construction.

Sarah Garry, Skills Manager of Build UK said: “We welcome the increase in funding for apprenticeships which should make a real difference for all employers, regardless of the size of their business. This is one piece of the puzzle. CITB and industry working together will ensure the apprenticeship process is easy to understand and is accessible for everyone.”

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders said: “The increase in grant funding is good news for employers in the construction industry, particularly small construction firms. It will allow SME businesses to take on even more apprentices, including for specialist courses in order to meet the construction industry’s demand for highly-skilled individuals.”

For more information visit the CITB website.

construction apprentice grant funding chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

Derbyshire highlights why it is the Uk’s Capital for Innovation at MIPIM

Derby and Derbyshire are certainly living up to the title of UK Capital for Innovation with recent announcements taking centre stage at MIPIM this week.

The largest-ever delegation from Derby and Derbyshire is  promoting the county and city at MIPIM 2019 – the annual global real estate exhibition held in Cannes, France which will be attended by 25,000 delegates.

In Chesterfield the transformation of the town centre has taken another significant step forward as plans for a new enterprise centre have been given the go ahead. The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre will help meet demand for office space to house start up and growing small business and support the council’s existing innovation centres at Dunston and Tapton Park.

Derby City Council has approved Pattonair to develop a 9.7acre site with 80,000sqft warehouse and 15,000sqft office building, located at Infinity Park Aerospace Campus.

The iHub innovation centre on Infinity Park in Derby is now at 100% capacity.  The 45,000 sq ft. facility has attracted some of the biggest names in the automotive, rail and aerospace supply chain industries.  Tenants include Airbus, Altran, and advanced aviation company VRCO.

Nuclear AMRC Midlands, a new research and innovation centre to support manufacturers across the region, has opened for business in the iHub at Infinity Park, Derby.  The new centre is a major expansion of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult and is a collaboration between the Nuclear AMRC, Derby City Council and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Rolls-Royce plc has been awarded a £235m contract to support the Royal Navy’s submarines in a move that will safeguard 500 jobs.

A combination of public and private sector officials are part of the first joint city and county delegation to attend MIPIM, playing a full role in the Midlands UK Pavilion supported by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Enterprise Centre

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield to be showcased at ‘Europe’s premier real estate event’

Chesterfield will once again appear on the worldwide investment stage when it is showcased at the leading property event – MIPIM – this month.

Now in its 30th year, MIPIM is regarded as the international platform for industry leaders to connect and do business.

Taking place in Cannes, France, MIPIM is described as ‘Europe’s premier real estate event’. It is expected to attract more than 26,000 of the most influential players in the property industry when it opens its doors from 12 – 15 March later this month.

Both Team Derby and Derbyshire and Sheffield City Region will highlight the investment potential of the borough at MIPIM.

With £1 billion of development already underway and an HS2 station expected in 2033, Chesterfield and north Derbyshire is considered an attractive investment prospect.

The town’s central location and transport networks have made it a magnet for commercial, leisure, industrial and residential investment in recent years and there is further potential to unlock in the town with the right investment.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, explained: “Chesterfield has strong investment potential and Team Derby and Derbyshire and Sheffield City Region take a very compelling pitch to MIPIM 2019 on our behalf.

“We have made huge progress in the town during the 12 months since we were last represented at MIPIM. An HS2 station has been confirmed, planning applications have been submitted for homes and offices at Chesterfield Waterside, the new Saltergate car park is under construction and the Premier Inn, which has been developed in the former Co-op building, is about to open on Elder Way. Make no mistake – there is significant investment potential for the town.

“We are already a town already punching above our weight, made possible by the partnership of public and private sector partnership and investment. We have secured more than £1 billion of development in the borough to create significant opportunities for businesses, residents and visitors, and there is lots more potential just waiting to be unlocked by the right investors.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “With £1 billion worth of development happening in the borough and our excellent travel links by road, rail and air, Chesterfield is ideally placed for investment.

“With the council-led Northern Gateway scheme and as a partner in Chesterfield Waterside, as a council we do all we can to help support local developments and continue to work with investors to bring more opportunities to the borough.”

For further information about investment opportunities in Chesterfield, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/invest

Chesterfield Waterside

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Local residents form ‘Friends of Monkey Park’ community group

A group of Brampton & Ashgate residents are coming together to form the ‘Friends of Monkey Park’.

The Friends of Monkey Park is a newly established, volunteer run community group facilitated and hosted by Monkey Park Community Hub on Chester Street. The aim to bring local people together to improve and maintain Chester Street Park (a.k.a. Monkey Park).

The main aims of the group are:

  • To apply for grant funding and raise funds ourselves, to replace the old and dangerous play area with new play equipment
  • To work with the local council, police and community to reduce key issues such as littering, dog fouling and antisocial behaviour
  • To arrange events that bring people into the park
  • To act as guardians of the park

The first meeting of the group is on 13th March 2019 at 6:30pm at Monkey Park Cafe. Local councillors and members of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Green Spaces team will be attending the event.

Kevin Walker, Director at Monkey Park CIC said: “We welcome everyone to our meetings and are keen to hear from all points of view. We want to create a park that is open and accessible to the whole community and would love to hear your views.”

For anyone wishing to get involved with the group, they can be contacted via email – admin@friendsofmonkeypark.org.uk, via Facebook – facebook.com/friendsofmonkeypark or via Twitter – twitter.com/friendsofmonkey.

The group are actively seeking donations and raffle prizes to help fund the project. They have a crowdfunding campaign running at: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/friendsofmonkeypark for anyone wishing to donate.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting