Development

Planning permission granted for new car park

15th May 2018

Plans to build a multi-million pound replacement Saltergate multi-storey car park have been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.

At their meeting on Monday 14 May, councillors approved the plans for the car park with 530 spaces for shoppers and commuters. It will also help serve the 89 bedroom Premier Inn hotel being built at the former Co-op building on Elder Way as part of the Northern Gateway development.

Users of the new car park will benefit from an improved user experience. The new car park will have wider bays and a higher proportion of disabled and parent and child spaces than the old car park, which was demolished earlier this year.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “One of the council’s top priorities is to make Chesterfield a thriving borough and by investing in the new car park as part of the wider Northern Gateway scheme, we will encourage people to use this part of our town centre.

“Now the planning application has been approved, work remains on track for a start on site in September.”

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “The demolition of Saltergate carpark is a welcome and visible sign that plans for Northern Gateway are starting to come to fruition.

“The very fact the carpark is being replaced with a larger structure is a key indicator that there is both footfall and demand in Chesterfield. There are also further multi-storey carparks being built at Waterside to meet future anticipated demand which is being driven by the town’s investment potential.”

Work is currently underway on the Northern Gateway scheme including the transformation of the former Co-op department store which, as well as the Premier Inn hotel, will feature six bars and restaurants on the ground floor and a fitness centre in the basement.

There will also be environmental improvements on Elder Way. A planning application will also be submitted soon for a new enterprise centre on part of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The Northern Gateway scheme is partly funded by the Sheffield City Region Local Growth Fund.

Find out more about the Northern Gateway development.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure

One-hundred-million pound HS2 garden village bid moves a step closer

26th March 2018

Ambitious plans to unlock land for 17,000 homes in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Derby − linked to new HS2 growth zones − have moved a step closer.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that 44 new areas across England have been shortlisted for a slice of £4.1bn in Housing Infrastructure funding to provide vital infrastructure like roads, bridges and new schools needed by new communities.

For the East Midlands, that could mean funding of up to £100m for new infrastructure that will support the two HS2 stations proposed for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

A network of garden villages, which includes developments at Stanton and the Chetwynd Barracks site, will form the centerpiece of the HS2 Hub and innovation campus at Toton and will bring huge economic and quality of life benefits for local people. This is supported by new housing and employment opportunities set around a major new link road between Chesterfield and Staveley in the north.

The bid has been led by Nottinghamshire County Council, on behalf of the wider region.

Further assessment of the bids will now take place, with Government officials working alongside the local bid team. A final decision is expected in the autumn.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said:

“This is a huge step in the right direction for our joint bid to capitalise on HS2 and supports our ambitions for growth in the area.

“The creation of the HS2 maintenance depot at Staveley and the ability to serve Chesterfield with high speed trains will help transform Derbyshire’s economy bringing more jobs and more scope for local people to travel to employment.

“We’ve set out a comprehensive approach to integrating Chesterfield station and associated development areas into the town, and accelerating the regeneration of the Staveley corridor and key surrounding sites.

“This latest announcement gives us a vote of confidence in our plans and we look forward to working with colleagues in Chesterfield, Derby and Nottinghamshire to take our bid to the next stage.”

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said:

“We are proud to lead the Housing Infrastructure bid on behalf of the region and I am absolutely delighted that it has passed this very important hurdle, demonstrating that the Government shares our vision for the huge growth potential that exists in the East Midlands, particularly around HS2.

“The development of a network of mixed use ‘garden villages’ will help us attract and retain high quality jobs and talented people to complement our wider growth story.

“If our bid is successful, it has the potential to be one of the biggest single investments in infrastructure ever made in Nottinghamshire.”

Councillor Ranjit Banwait, Leader of Derby City Council, said:

“I am thrilled that Derby is part of this HS2-centred Housing Infrastructure bid. The East Midlands has huge potential, and being shortlisted is yet another example of our strong commitment to partnership working paying dividends.

“Infinity Garden Village would have a huge, and extremely positive impact on both housing and employment benefits across the city − especially at nearby Infinity Park Derby. I’m certain also that the development of Celanese Urban Village would be a catalyst for regeneration of the Spondon area, and indeed the entire HS2 route.”

Independent analysis suggests that, by targeting key sectors that can benefit from HS2 connectivity, in particular manufacturing, technology and high value services, HS2 can help deliver an additional 74,000 jobs and almost £4bn of GVA by 2043 in the region.

hs2 chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield’s housing offer to take a leap forward in 2018

22nd March 2018

Chesterfield is experiencing a renaissance in house building. The announcement was made at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event held at the Winding Wheel on Thursday 22 March.

At the sell-out event Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council revealed that nearly 2000 homes are set to be built in the next five years. Speaking at the event he said: “For the first time in many years the Council is able to demonstrate a five-year housing supply while also protecting the borough’s green belt land.”

He revealed that housing developers in the borough, including Woodall, Avant and Miller Homes, were delivering the most new build completions since 2007, with many houses being sold off plan.

Progress is also being made on The Park, the 6-acre residential development on the site of the former Arnold Laver timber yard at the ambitious £340 million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration project.

Speaking at the event, Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company leading the project, revealed that construction of up to 170 two, three and four bedroom homes, which will form ‘The Park’, is expected to get underway as early as the first quarter of 2019.

At the sell-out Celebrate Chesterfield event, Mr Swallow also announced that a collaboration agreement with an investment company to fund and deliver new residential apartments, has recently been put in place.

The agreement is the first stage of a process which will facilitate the construction of 310 Build to Rent apartments within Phase 1 of the Basin Square neighbourhood of Chesterfield Waterside. It follows the granting of outline planning consent for the layout, heights and massing of Phase 1 last year.

Speaking at the event Peter, who had recently returned from France, having attended the leading worldwide property event, MIPIM, where the Chesterfield Waterside project was showcased said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress being made at Chesterfield Waterside.

“We will now move forward with the ‘best bids’ process for the construction of the housing units at The Park and, subject to reserved matters planning consent being granted, expect work to start on site on this phase early next year.

“Demand is strong as developers see the massive potential of Chesterfield Waterside as a whole.”

The 16 hectare development is a 10-year project being led by Bolsterstone Group, working in partnership with Arnold Laver Group and Chesterfield Borough Council. The programme aims to create a thriving new community with homes, offices, shops, bars and restaurants surrounding a new canal basin and is one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, said: The housing announcements made at Celebrate are growing physical proof that Chesterfield is a market town with a difference. We have grown and adapted to the changing needs of residents and businesses and, as a result, created a very attractive investment proposition. People want to live, work and do business here and our housing plans are further evidence of this.”

Celebrate Chesterfield, now in its sixth year, is organised by Destination Chesterfield and is one of the biggest business events in the region.

The University of Derby is headline sponsor of the event alongside Central Technology and Markham Vale as associate sponsors of Celebrate Chesterfield.

Destination Chesterfield was launched in 2010 to improve the economic prosperity of the town through a campaign to promote Chesterfield.

Over the past eight years it has brought together the business community as Chesterfield Champions to market the town, drive investment and bring it to the attention of national investors.

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

Chesterfield’s investment potential showcased in new film

22nd March 2018

With £1 billion of investment opportunities underway, Chesterfield’s investment potential has been brought to life in a brand new series of films produced by Destination Chesterfield.

The series of films have been created to showcase the benefits of investing in Chesterfield.

They feature a number of businesses from the leisure and retail, manufacturing and logistics sectors, highlighting the key benefits of basing businesses in the Borough.

Ferdinand Bilstein, Northern Tea Merchants, United Cast Bars Ltd, Bottle and Thyme, and MSE Hiller are amongst a number of businesses featured in the films, highlighting the benefits of Chesterfield’s connectivity, productivity, lifestyle, proximity to the Peak District and skills and education offer.

The films, which have all been created by local film and production company Defeye Creative, have been commissioned by Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment campaign.

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager explained: “Chesterfield’s GVA has grown by 28% in the last five years outperforming South Yorkshire, East Midlands and England. These are facts that cannot be taken lightly by businesses looking to grow and invest.

“We have the commercial property, transport links and networks to support businesses and nowhere is this better evidenced that with the businesses that are established in Chesterfield, which is why it was important to showcase them in the films.”

Delighted to take part in the film James Pogson, Director of Chatsworth Road based retailer and manufacturer Northern Tea Merchants said: “Our business has its roots in Chesterfield and has been established here for nearly 70 years. It is an excellent location for us and the transport links have enabled us to grow and develop partnerships with national retailers and take the business from a local tea distributor to a national retailer and manufacturer.”

Dominic added: “The investment potential of Chesterfield is immense. Already we have the UK’s largest leisure development at Peak Resort, one of the largest regeneration projects at Chesterfield Waterside and an HS2 station in planning which will deliver a huge range of opportunities for people to live, work and invest here both now and in the future.”

To view all the films, visit https://youtu.be/cAcHXdi3YRM

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

Chesterfield’s ambitious £340 million regeneration scheme set to take shape in 2018

22nd March 2018

The ambitious £340 million regeneration project Chesterfield Waterside, is set to make significant progress in 2018.

The exciting news was revealed at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event on Thursday 22 March by Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc the company leading the project.

At the event he revealed that construction of up to 170 two, three and four bedroom homes, which will form ‘The Park’ neighbourhood, is expected to get underway as early as the first quarter of 2019.

Delivery of a further 310 residential apartments within Phase 1 of Basin Square has also taken a step forward following a recent collaboration agreement with an investment company as the funding and delivery partner for the proposed ‘Build to Rent’ accommodation. The conclusion of this agreement is the first stage of a process which will facilitate the construction of these one and two bedroom units at Basin Square

The recent progress follows the granting of outline planning consent last year for the layout, heights and massing of the apartments, hotel, offices, retail units and multi-storey car park which will be constructed in Phase 1 of Basin Square.

Further developments at Basin Square include the granting of planning permission to restore the link from the canal to the newly constructed basin within the scheme. A reserved matters planning application will also shortly be submitted for the 4000m² office building, 30% of which is already under offer. Construction of the office building is expected to start early next year.

Speaking at the event Peter, who has recently returned from France having attended the leading worldwide property event MIPIM where the Chesterfield Waterside project was showcased, said: “I am delighted with the excellent progress being made at Chesterfield Waterside.

“The next step in this process is that we will now move forward with the ‘best bids’ process for the construction of the family housing units at The Park and, subject to reserved matters planning consent being granted, expect work to start on site on this phase early next year.

“Demand is strong as developers see the massive potential of Chesterfield Waterside as a whole. The development’s prime location next to the town centre, great road networks and the train station which will have an HS2 stop by 2034, make it an attractive investment opportunity that is holding its own at a regional, national and international level.”

The 16 hectare development is a 10-year project being led by Bolsterstone Group working in partnership with Arnold Laver Group and Chesterfield Borough Council. The programme aims to create a thriving new community with homes, offices, shops, bars and restaurants surrounding a new canal basin and is one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK.

Find out more about the Chesterfield Waterside development.

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

Planning application submitted for new Saltergate car park

22nd March 2018

Plans for a new, modern Saltergate multi-storey car park have been submitted by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The council’s planning committee will decide on the application for a new car park with more than 500 spaces in the coming weeks.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “The new car park moves a step closer to reality now the planning application has been submitted.

“The new car park will be fit for purpose with wider bays and modern facilities and would serve the town centre, including the Premier Inn Hotel, restaurants and fitness centre being built on the site of the former Co-op department store as part of the Northern Gateway development.”

The previous Saltergate multi-storey car park closed at the beginning of February and work is currently being carried out to demolish the concrete structure, built in the early 1970s.

The demolition work should be completed in mid-April.

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “The demolition of Saltergate carpark is a welcome and visible sign that plans for Northern Gateway are starting to come to fruition.

The new car park is part of the wider council-led Northern Gateway scheme. Work is currently underway on the transformation of the former Co-op department store which will feature a 96 bedroom Premier Inn hotel on the upper floors, six bars and restaurants on the ground floor and a fitness centre in the basement.

There will also be environmental improvements on Elder Way and a new enterprise centre on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Derbyshire showcases half billion of investment at MIPIM

15th March 2018

Derby and Derbyshire have been promoting the region at MIPIM, the international property conference, as part of the Midlands UK Pavilion.

Frank Horsley, Head of Economic Regeneration at Derbyshire County Council presented, alongside senior representatives from Birmingham and Coventry, as part of a ‘Living and Thriving’ panel hosted by Estates Gazette. The panel discussed the effects leisure and tourism have on the economic development and Derbyshire brings a wealth of opportunity to the table.

Derbyshire has long been a destination of choice to live, work and play. With over 35 million visitors per year, the tourism economy in Derbyshire is thriving. Iconic brands and stunning locations such as the Peak District National Park, Chatsworth House and the National Forest attract millions of tourists each year and encourages more businesses to set up or locate in Derbyshire. The County has a unique lifestyle offer and Derbyshire’s residents have easy access to both an area of outstanding national beauty and to major cities.

Frank Horsley, Head of Economic Regeneration at Derbyshire County Council said “Countless examples of living and thriving can be found right across Derbyshire from the famous Peak District National Park and Derbyshire Dales to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site – the birth-place of the industrial revolution. Derbyshire is proud of its industrial past and manufacturing is still at its core with twice the national average being employed in this sector. The visitor economy is also booming, and worth over £2 billion with new developments of global significance such as Buxton Hotel and Spa and Peak Resort in Chesterfield coming forward. People and businesses thrive in Derbyshire, from entrepreneurs to large scale multi-national companies – innovation is in our DNA”

As Derbyshire’s largest town, Chesterfield is undergoing a huge change with major investments in retail, tourism and housing developments currently taking place.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said “The first phase of £400m Peak Resort, which is set to launch in 2020, will help cement Chesterfield’s reputation as a tourism town, harnessing its proximity to the Peak District. We have long recognised the tourist potential of the town and are making significant investment in the number of overnight beds available, creating additional hotel accommodation in both the town centre and at Basin Square in the first phase of Chesterfield Waterside.”

Another key part of Derbyshire’s investment offer is the market town of Buxton founded by the Romans, it later became a famous spa town in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The development of Buxton Crescent to a Five-star thermal spa hotel and visitor centre brings huge opportunities for the town. The project, which received a £23.8m Heritage Lottery Fund award, one of the largest awards granted outside London, is a partnership between High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, Trevor Osborne Property Group and CP Holding Ltd, the outright owner of the Danubius Hotel and Spa Group – Europe’s largest hotel and spa operator.

VINCI Construction UK started work on the £46 million redevelopment in 2016 and the Hotel and Spa and Pump Room will open in 2019. The Crescent development will place Buxton firmly back on the map as England’s leading spa town.

The crescent, built by the Fifth Duke of Devonshire, has strong links with the Chatsworth Estate in the stunning Peak District National Park as the current Duke of Devonshire is the Patron of the Buxton Crescent & Thermal Spa Heritage Trust. The Chatsworth Estate is an important part of the visitor economy and the Duke of Devonshire is a strong advocate of the excellent quality of life on offer in Derbyshire.

The Duke of Devonshire commented “Derbyshire is a wonderful part of the world, with many and varied reasons to live here and visit. As a university, spa and market town, Buxton is one of those reasons. Built by my ancestor the 5th Duke of Devonshire, the Crescent has been part of Buxton’s history for over 200 years, and I hope that its current redevelopment will play a pivotal role in the continued renaissance of Buxton as a leading spa town. At Chatsworth, we look forward to playing our part in the next stage of Buxton’s story.”

Download the D2 Prospectus of investment opportunities.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Over 250 delegates to Celebrate Chesterfield

14th March 2018

This year’s Celebrate Chesterfield has a packed agenda which celebrates the success of the town

Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Plc, the company behind the Chesterfield Waterside, will reveal at the free business breakfast event how the ambitious regeneration project – one of the largest in the UK – will take a major step forward this year.

Peter will also be joined by Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, who will update on the progress the town is making as a whole.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, will launch the town’s new investment video whilst Dr Paula Holt, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, College of Health and Social Care at the University of Derby will showcase the success of the Chesterfield Campus.

Richard Thompson, Sales and Marketing Director at Central Technology will take part in ‘Chat with a Champion’ and Toby Perkins MP, Cllr. Tricia Gilby , Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Phil Bramley, Editor of the Derbyshire Times and Dr Paula Holt will take be part of our Queston Time panel.

Celebrate Chesterfield, now in its sixth year and organised by Destination Chesterfield, is one of the biggest business events in the region. More than 250 delegates are expected to attend at the Winding Wheel this year.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager, said: “We are a town on the up and we have a lot to be proud of. Celebrate Chesterfield is a fantastic opportunity for the local business community to come together and toast achievements from the past 12 months and look forward to what is coming up during 2018 and beyond.”

The University of Derby is this year’s headline sponsor with Central Technology and Markham Vale as associate sponsors.

Dr Paula Holt, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, College of Health and Social Care, said:

“The University of Derby is proud to sponsor the Celebrate Chesterfield event once again in 2018.

“We remain committed to making a difference to Chesterfield and its population, growing our involvement in social and community projects to promote health and wellbeing. We have seen a significant increase in students at our Chesterfield Campus, particularly in adult and mental health nursing, giving more local people the opportunity to progress their careers. It is a joy to see the old girls’ school which has been restored sympathetically, but with state-of-the-art facilities, thriving as a vibrant educational centre of excellence. We are seeing occupation of our incubation space, and we are committed to supporting local businesses through innovation and creativity in areas such as health technology and product development, as well as working together to develop higher, degree and masters level apprenticeships.”

Richard Thompson, Sales and Marketing Director at Central Technology, added:

“Supporting Destination Chesterfield is of huge importance to us at CT. Having been established and working in Chesterfield, with year on year growth for over 15 years, we seek to employ local talent and work with local mid-market organisations that require IT support and critical data and security protection.

“2018 is a big year for Central Technology as we move to a fully fitted 11,000 sq ft office later this spring to accommodate our growth and provide more opportunities for jobs in the area.

“With a key focus on staff training and development, we will have dedicated training facilities and test labs for technical learning time. By attracting excellent technicians and developing our local apprenticeship scheme, we will be able to continue to provide the excellent service our customers expect.

“The event is a great opportunity for us to meet and work with like-minded mid-market organisations that are keen to grow business in Chesterfield and make it a great location to both work and live.”

Destination Chesterfield was launched in 2010 to improve the economic prosperity of the town through a campaign to promote Chesterfield.

Over the past eight years it has brought together the business community as Chesterfield Champions to market the town, drive investment and bring it to the attention of national investors.

Limited tickets for the breakfast event, which is being held from 7.30am to 11am, are available to book now.

To book your ticket at the event, please visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Gist’s new Chesterfield site is open for business

14th February 2018

Gist is excited to announce that its newest distribution centre, Gist Chesterfield, opened for business recently at Markham Vale.

Chesterfield began replacing Gist’s operation in Sheffield in July last year. At 90,000 sq. ft., Chesterfield was purpose-built to support business growth and increase the scope of current Gist operations in the North East and Midlands. The site will offer temperature controlled storage and consolidation, order picking and, as part of Gist’s national transport network, will deliver to UK retailer regional distribution centres 24/7.

The site is strategically located to enable Gist to service its food manufacturer and food retail clients.

Martin Gwynn, Gist Chief Executive, says: “We are always looking to build on our successful customer partnerships and our Chesterfield site is an important new extension to our national food logistics network, allowing us the space to grow our business in this area. This new facility will significantly increase our ability to bring great service to our customers. We look forward to announcing new contract wins in the near future and were pleased to create new job opportunities for the surrounding area.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

The first food barn in the North has been granted planning permission

13th February 2018

The first food barn in the North has been granted planning permission in
Chesterfield.

The Batch House will feature a mix of bars, restaurants, start-ups, street food traders
and a demo kitchen, as well as offering creative flexible space on the upper atrium
floors.

Common place in many European towns and cities, the concept of a food barn
offering quality artisan food in a casual relaxed environment is only just beginning in
the UK. The Batch house is going to create that atmosphere for Chesterfield and its
surrounding neighbours.

Popping up all over London, food halls offer diners a range of exciting food and
drink all under one roof.

The Batch House is an integral part of Blue Deer’s latest project, The Glass Yard. It’s
going to bring people together who want to create something special, whether that
is food, products, or experiences.

Directly opposite Chesterfield’s Proact football stadium, the barn will form an
imposing centrepiece of the whole project with its eye-catching design, and will be
surrounded by 18 state-of-the-art office buildings.

The whole project has already attracted exciting local businesses, as well artisan
food producers from across the country, all sharing the ethos of: “Whatever you
sell, make or create, make it as good as you can”.

Tim Turner, Blue Deer founder, said: “I’ve visited food destination buildings in lots
of European towns and cities and always have the same thought ‘why don’t we do
something like this back home in Derbyshire’. Now we’re going to.

“The Batch House will bring a European culture and experience to Chesterfield and
its neighbours that is currently springing up all over London.

“We know from the interest we have already received just how much support there
is out there for this project, and now planning permission has been granted we are
in the position to make it happen. Is Chesterfield ready for this? We think so!”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

University of Derby Invest to Grow fund creates 1,000 local jobs

13th February 2018

The University of Derby has supported the creation of more than 1,000 jobs in key growth sectors across the East Midlands since launching its Invest to Grow funding scheme in 2014.

More than a quarter of the new jobs have been created in Derbyshire, including roles in transport equipment manufacturing, life sciences, construction, food and drink manufacturing, logistics, engineering and low carbon sectors.

It is a major milestone for the fund, which through a re-circulating finance scheme, provides a combination of loans and grants to SMEs to support specific projects. These are typically related to businesses growing, developing or improving their products and related services, as well as creating new and sustainable jobs.

Mr Hari Punchihewa, Deputy Chief-Executive and Finance Director of the University, said: “I’m delighted that the scheme managed by the University with an independent panel has reached this impressive milestone.

“The funding from Invest to Grow provides much needed financial support to businesses across the East Midlands and has had a significant economic impact over several key growth sectors. Alongside the ongoing Invest to Grow scheme and the additional support to SMEs from the University, we can expect to see further job creation and growth in the wider business community.”

The University was originally awarded a total of £16.35m in funding by the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) for its Invest to Grow scheme. This is not the end of the scheme however. As this is a re-circulating finance scheme, there is still recycled loan funding to be repaid into the scheme and recirculated to new projects.

Mark Wheddon, Head of Delivery for Invest to Grow at the University of Derby, added: “In addition to job creation, managing the Invest to Grow fund has facilitated enhanced links between businesses and the University. There are several examples of ongoing collaboration, knowledge exchange and a general increased awareness of the University’s wider role as an economic anchor institution supporting the region’s businesses.

“The funding has directly enabled many businesses to recruit new staff and bring in new skills or contributed to training and upskilling existing employees, often in relation to new equipment, technology or processes. Many of our funding recipients have also continued to work with the University through employing PhD students to undertake research.”

Homecare Direct Limited, based in Chesterfield, provide services to people who need individual care to organise their own support at home. The company was awarded £160,000 by Invest to Grow to enable them to relocate to new fit for purpose premises and to invest in its IT infrastructure.

Speaking about the impact of the Invest to Grow fund, Roger Adams, Director at Homecare Direct Limited, said: “Support from Invest to Grow not only enabled the business to grow and create new employment, but also led to further collaboration with the University. In 2017 Homecare Direct took on two placement students which proved to be highly successful and beneficial to both the company and the students.”

For more information about the University of Derby’s Invest to Grow Fund, visit: www.derby.ac.uk/investtogrow.

New £6.9 million University Campus brings history and future together in Chesterfield

Posted in Business, Development