A planning application has been submitted seeking permission to build a three-floor Enterprise Centre for small businesses as part of the Northern Gateway scheme.

Chesterfield Borough Council wants to build the centre on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park to meet demand for office spaces to house start-up and growing small businesses.

If approved, work would start in March 2019 and take a year to complete. The building would include:

• 32 air conditioned offices, of different sizes, to suit a range of start-up and small companies
• Two meeting rooms
• High speed broadband access and wi-fi throughout the building
• A reception and shared lobby area
• CCTV in communal areas inside and outside the building
• Facilities for staff working in the building including kitchenettes, break out spaces, showers and a bicycle store

Councillor Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “These plans are a vital piece of the jigsaw in the Northern Gateway scheme and we know from the enquiries we get from start-up businesses how much this type of office space is needed in a town centre location.”

“Like our existing innovation centres at Dunston and Tapton this centre would be designed as a place that start-up or new businesses can let on ‘easy in-easy out’ terms with a view to them growing as businesses, expanding and moving in to larger premises in the borough.”

“This means we can also support the wider local economy through this development as all those businesses create jobs for local residents. Having a centre like this in the town centre also means that the employees who work there will support other local businesses and provide extra footfall in the town centre area.”

The proposed new building has been designed by Chesterfield-based Whittam Cox Architects and is being supported by funding from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

Andrew Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, said: “As a local practice we are delighted to support Chesterfield Borough Council with the development of a new Enterprise Centre.

“This is a key milestone in the regeneration of the Northern Gateway that will provide a new and unique commercial offer which we believe will be a catalyst for further investment into this area.”

“We are confident that our design proposals will deliver a high quality contemporary project that will act as a benchmark for the future regeneration of the town.”

The Enterprise Centre forms part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s wider Northern Gateway scheme, which aims to revitalise the northern end of the town centre. It includes:

• The conversion of the former Co-op store in to a 96-bedroom Premier Inn, with six ground floor restaurant/bars and a gym in the basement. Work by private developer Jomast Developments to build the hotel is expected to be completed in November.
• The construction of the new Saltergate multi-storey car park by Chesterfield Borough Council to replace the one demolished in spring 2018.
• Environmental improvements to Elder Way and surrounding areas to create a more environmentally friendly space with a café culture, to accompany the work at the former Co-op store. Work will take place in 2019.

A decision on the planning application is expected to be taken by the council’s planning committee in early 2019.

If the Enterprise Centre plan is approved it will mean the loss of 60 of the 255 spaces on the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park. However, these spaces will be replaced by the extra capacity on the neighbouring Saltergate multi-storey car park, which is being built alongside it. Saltergate will also have capacity to cater for the existing needs of residents, as well as the visitors who will use the Premier Inn.

The Holywell Cross car park will remain open during the construction of the Enterprise Centre.

Read more about the Northern Gateway Development

For the fourth successive year, BRM Solicitors has joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Support to exclusively offer a free will writing service during September and October to support Macmillan in Chesterfield.

Excluding Gift Aid donations, the Chesterfield law firm has so far raised over £50,000 over the last three years for the Macmillan appeal to help build the NGS Macmillan Unit, at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and fund services at the centre. With the centre now open, the firm is continuing its support by getting behind Macmillan’s ongoing work in the region to provide better cancer care.

Until 31 October, BRM Solicitors will waive its fees, and instead will encourage clients to make a voluntary donation of £75 per single will and £150 per double will to the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre.

Rob Woodhead, Head of Wills and Probate at BRM Solicitors said:

“The new centre has already made a huge impact on the range and quality of treatment available to cancer patients in the local area. We are very proud that through the free wills service, our clients were able to directly contribute to funding construction of the centre. Going forward, clients making wills with the service can continue to have a direct impact on the care of patients at the centre by helping fund new services.”

Hannah Lumb, Local Fundraising Manager at Macmillan said:

“Every person who takes part in this scheme, your donations will automatically be restricted to fund Macmillan Services based at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, or on Macmillan grants to people living with cancer in the Chesterfield area. As a charity, we do not get any government funding and 98% of our income comes from the public. The number of people with cancer is growing every day and we want to reach and improve the lives of as many of those people as we can. We couldn’t provide our vital services without the people who support us.”

“Over the next few years, we will be investing well over £1 million to fund new projects and health professionals at the hospital. For example, we’re helping set up a new Welfare Rights Service and Macmillan Supportive Care Service (3 Nurses and a Clinical Navigator to enhance the current Palliative Care and Acute Oncology service) at the new centre. We’re committed to delivering these new projects, but urgently need your help to fund them and develop similar services in the future.”

Leading property consultancy Commercial Property Partners LLP (CPP) has facilitated the off-market sale of an 90,000 sq ft property in Chesterfield on behalf of investment company MCR Property, with Chesterfield Champions Banner Jones Solicitors providing advice on the acquisition.

Situated on a prominent site in Chesterfield Town Centre and home to a myriad of businesses including retailers, a Kwik-Fit, the central Job Centre and 20,000 sq ft of offices, Markham House was acquired by local Chesterfield-based Property Investment Company Lodge Farm Estates for an undisclosed sum in September, representing the single largest transaction in Chesterfield Town Centre for many years.

Plans are now afoot for a full refurbishment of the mixed-use site, which has an annual investment net initial yield of 11.75%, with the new owners looking to bring the building ‘back up to a modern standard’.

Rob Darrington, Partner at CPP, said: “Markham House is situated in a very prominent position in Chesterfield, which is a significant factor in its success attracting such a unique mix of tenants – from retailers, through to office-based businesses and service providers.”

“I’m sure this will be a great addition Lodge Farm Estate’s portfolio due to its size and potential for future development – providing the much needed town centre office accommodation and retail space, which is high in demand – and we were delighted to have facilitated its sale off-market.”

Cathy Thomas, Director and Solicitor at Banner Jones, commented: “I’m pleased to have advised Lodge Farm Estates on the acquisition of these premises which, once refurbished, will add to the ongoing regeneration of Chesterfield which is making it an increasingly desirable area for businesses to expand into.”

Commenting on the site acquisition David Tate, Lodge Farm Estates Director, said: “Markham House offers a significant opportunity to Chesterfield Town Centre.”

“It is our intention to refurbish the property and bring it back up to a modern standard to offer good quality, functional space for a variety of uses, well needed by business in the region. The property will offer a variety of accommodation from traditional office suites between 1,000 sq ft – 10,000 sq ft, to self contained small studios suitable for private gym uses, medical purposes or similar.”

Commercial property agent Knight Frank has been appointed to secure a new occupier for 102,515 sq ft of industrial and distribution facility at Markham Vale, the popular 200-acre industrial park in North Derbyshire.

Knight Frank’s industrial and logistics team are seeking a tenant for the unit which fronts directly onto the M1 motorway at Junction 29a.

Rebecca Schofield, partner at Knight Frank and head of the Yorkshire industrial team, said: “Given the strategic location, immediately adjacent to Junction 29a, the site is easily accessible from the South Yorkshire and East Midlands regions, with direct connectivity to the M1 and subsequently the M18, A38 and further afield.

“The location and quality of build has previously attracted major players to this flagship development.”

“This type and size of facility proves popular in the Sheffield City Region and we anticipate good levels of interest in the available unit as the area continues to maintain its position as a distribution hub for the UK.”

Features at the unit include a two bay industrial/distribution facility with 12m clear internal eaves height, LED warehouse lighting, 10 dock level loading doors, four ground level loading doors, sprinkler system, heating to part of the warehouse, fitted office/amenity block including canteen and locker room, and a good sized external yard area and car parking.

The premises also have the benefit of being partly racked and have a multi-tier mezzanine extending to approx 40,953 sq ft (3,805 sq m) arranged over three levels which can be removed if not required.

Markham Vale has proved a success with occupiers including Great Bear, Smurfitt Kappa, Ferdinand Bilstein, Gist, Meter Provida and Holdsworth Food.

Chesterfield law firm BRM Solicitors has acted in a £110m mixed use shopping centre and 174 residential unit development built in Acton, London.

Acton town centre is currently undergoing a wholescale regeneration, with the development due for completion in 2019 including the creation of 11 new retail units, a gym and 174 residential apartments.

BRM having previously secured retail pre-lets with M&S Simply Food, Wilko, Iceland, The Gym Limited and Lidl and the 2016 £69.5m residential development sale to a charitable housing association, this month completed the £41.5m retail shopping centre sale.

BRM advised land owner and developer over the course of site preparation, redevelopment, marketing, funding and sale.

Piers Slater of developer Reef Group stated:

“We are excited to see the mixed use regeneration taking shape with completion due next year, providing retail and leisure facilities for Acton.”

“BRM gave clear and pro-active legal advice in this complex transaction, innovatively reacting to and blending the requirements of multiple funders, and driving the transaction throughout.”

The deal saw BRM continuing to compete at a national level based on its level of service, and the high standards of staff and resources found locally.

BRM continues to advise as the development concludes over the next six months.

Adrian Sheehan led the legal team, supported by Sanjeev Batra, Alastair Reid (all Commercial Property) and Sarah Rowland (Corporate).

Eleven new life-size steel figures have been unveiled as part of a memorial to miners who lost their lives at Markham Colliery.

The figures were unveiled as part of the ‘Walking Together’ memorial – led by Derbyshire County Council – which will eventually feature 106 figures stretching between the village of Duckmanton in Chesterfield and the former pithead. There are now 45 figures at the site – the first 2 were unveiled in 2013 to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973 disaster.

The Walking Together memorial has been designed by Cheshire-based Artist Stephen Broadbent. Each figure is part of a walking trail which symbolises a miner’s journey to the pit and back home again and represents the 106 men who lost their lives in 3 accidents at the site.

On 21 January 1937 an underground explosion claimed the lives of 9 men and in 1938, 79 miners lost their lives and 40 were seriously injured in a second explosion.

Eighteen miners died and 11 others suffered serious injury in the third disaster at the colliery when the mechanical brake on a lift carrying them to the coalface failed on 30 July 1973.

The former colliery site has now been reclaimed by Derbyshire County Council and Henry Boot Developments and is home to the Markham Vale regeneration scheme which is working to create 4,100 jobs for local people.

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration said: “It has been a special day remembering the brave men that lost their lives in the 3 disasters at Markham Colliery.”

“It was really nice to meet and spend time the relatives and hear more about each miner.”

“I remember the site well. Not only as a place of work but where were great friendships formed.”

“We now have 45 figures as part of the memorial and more sponsors are needed so if you’d like to take part and support the project please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.”

Relatives of the miners commemorated at the unveiling also attended the event to pay tribute.

Each figure carries a tag with the name of 1 of the miners, along with their age and job role. These most recent additions have been dedicated to:

• Arthur May, 59, Contractor
• George Edward Pether, 30, Ripper
• Harry Lavender, 39, Ripper
• James Stanley Rowland, 34, Contractor
• John Arnold Bray, 34, Ripper
• John Thomas Brown, 26, Timber Drawer
• John William Lievesley, 46, Deputy
• Leonard Atkin, 53, Contractor
• Thomas George Yates, 38, Timber Drawer
• Walter Bluer, 41, Ripper
• Wilfred Haywood, 36, Ripper

The latest figures have been sponsored by:

• Duckmanton Primary School
• G F Tomlinson Group Ltd
• Maureen (nee Bray) and John Fidler
• The descendants of Thomas George Yates
• The Freemasons Derbyshire Fund through Foundation Derbyshire
• The Markham Mining Memorial Working Group
• The Milnes Family
• The Pether Family

Henry Boot Developments and their consultants Jefferson Sheard Architects, Warrington Martin, Anderson Green Ltd and BWB Consulting Ltd have also sponsored figures.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a figure can contact Head of Markham Vale, Peter Storey, email: peter.storey@derbyshire.gov.uk

Councillor Tony King (centre) holds a photograph of Markham miner Wilfred Haywood with Wilfred’s granddaughter Janet Wilkins and his second cousin Alan Perry