Rockliffe Homes Ltd has begun work on a £5.5m development that will result in 37 new homes being built in Brimington, Chesterfield.

Ringwood Meadows, which consists of a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes, has progressed thanks to financial backing from the Homes & Communities Agency by way of the new, recently announced £3 billion House Building Fund.

It is already attracting interest from buyers; with local estate agent Wilkins Vardy appointed to oversee sales.

Contractor Atkinson Construction Group is now on site building the houses, with the first phase of the scheme scheduled for completion in 2017. Available to purchase through the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, the site will address the ‘very pressing’ need for more housing in and around Chesterfield.

Anuj Joshi, Managing Director at Rockliffe Homes’ said:-

“Ringwood Meadows is ideally located close to local amenities including everything the Hollingwood Hub has to offer, whilst also bordering beautiful, open countryside.

“Furthermore, this scheme is on track to provide families and young professionals with access to well appointed, quality homes that are designed to address the shortage of properties here in Chesterfield.

“We are also delighted to be able to offer the Help to Buy scheme to purchasers which is a fantastic initiative dedicated to helping people who are looking to make their way onto the first rung of the property ladder to fulfil their ambitions.”

The company, has secured additional funding from the Homes and Communities Agency which will allow it to acquire and develop new sites in the region with a focus on bringing high quality homes to areas experiencing a housing shortage.

Craig Johns, Senior Transaction Manager at the Homes and Communities Agency, said:-

“Providing a loan to Rockliffe Homes, will not only create 37 new homes in Brimington, but will also support Rockliffe Homes in its continued expansion. It is fantastic that our investment will not only increase the number of homes available for local people but will also create skilled jobs on brownfield land.”

Dan Elliott, Managing Director of Chesterfield based estate agents Wilkins Vardy, said:-

“We have been met with superb levels of interest for this development. Phase 1 was released in September 2016, and all plots were reserved soon after. We already have names and numbers of people wanting to reserve on phase 2, which will be released in the summer.

“We know that there is real demand for quality, family housing in and around Chesterfield, and so it is not surprising that so many people are responding quickly to what promises to be a very practical yet picturesque development.”

John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council leader, on a site visit recently said:-

”It’s an exciting quality development and very welcome in Brimington. It is particularly pleasing the homes are being bought mainly by local first time buyers.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, who is County Councillor and Leader elect in Chesterfield, added:-

”The work is proceeding at a pace and the first phase is due for occupancy in the early Autumn. This is the first development of this quality and size in our village for a long time. We want to be able to welcome the new homeowners as soon as they are settled in their new homes.”

Councillor Terry Gilby, the Deputy Leader and planning cabinet member for the Borough,  who was also on site said:-

“To see the unused Day Care centre site coming back to life in such a way is testament to how we support Brown field sites for housing development. The homes are in such demand because the buying price is assisted by the Help to Buy scheme, when complete it will be a welcome addition to the hosing available in the borough”.

Regeneration of a key Chesterfield site has moved a step closer as works are completed to prepare the ground conditions at the former Trebor factory site, ahead of the Basin Square phase of the Chesterfield Waterside development.

Chesterfield Borough Council is a partner in the project, which is listed by Regeneration and Renewal magazine as the 47^th largest regeneration project in the UK.

The project is led by Chesterfield-based Bolsterstone Group plc, with Arnold Laver Group as stakeholders in the project.

Ground works to prepare the Basin Square site have been carried out by Chesterfield-based company NT Killingley Ltd.

As part of the groundworks contract, an acoustic noise bund has also been built alongside the A61 on the former Arnold Laver site, which will pave the way for approximately 300 family homes to be built in the Park area of the Waterside development.

The first phase of residential housing on Brimington Road, comprising 19 new homes was developed for Great Places Housing Association, are now complete and fully occupied.

The site enabling works were carried out thanks to a £2.7 million grant from the Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund.

Councillor John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader, said:-

“Chesterfield Waterside is key to transforming the borough’s economy.

“The next phase, which will create more than 300 new jobs, is happening now thanks to our place at the Sheffield City Region table and our ability to negotiate grant funding allowing the developers to bring this work forward.”

Peter Swallow, Director of the Bolsterstone Group plc, said:-

“I am delighted that the works to restore and prepare this area of the site are now complete after many months of planning and four months of site works.

“All the old buildings, related foundations, drainage, etc have been removed, leaving clear development platforms.

“Completion of this work, coupled with the recent grant of planning permission for the heights and massing of the proposed buildings, means that we are now in a position to move forward and complete negotiations with investors and occupiers for the delivery of the first phase of Basin Square at Chesterfield Waterside. It is a very exciting time.”

Sir Nigel Knowles, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said:-

“Sheffield City Region is proud to support the regeneration of Chesterfield Waterside as we work together to build a truly competitive centre of business excellence.

“Sheffield City Region Investment Fund is our major capital programme which enables local leaders to work together to leverage private and public sector investment more effectively.

“Chesterfield Waterside, which will create hundreds of jobs and boost the economy, is an excellent example of our very robust approach to prioritising and selecting the highest standard of programmes.

“We are confident that every pound invested in Chesterfield Waterside will maximise economic growth, boost business and create more and better jobs.”

When complete, the Chesterfield Waterside development will include:

• 1,500 modern houses and apartments
• New employment opportunities in Grade A office accommodation situated directly adjacent to Chesterfield’s railway station
• An 84-bed hotel
• Multi-storey car park with approximately 440 spaces
• Shops, cafés and bars around the new canal basin and public square
• A network of open spaces and a park along a rejuvenated Chesterfield Canal and River Rother.

Councillors have welcomed revised proposals which would see HS2 trains stop in Chesterfield.
In their response to a Government consultation, at their meeting on Tuesday 7 March, members of Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet welcomed the proposed new route from the West Midlands to Leeds, including a stop in Chesterfield and a maintenance depot in Staveley.

They agreed that:

• The council welcomes the proposed stop in Chesterfield, which will bring reduced journey times to London and Birmingham and encourage growth in the borough’s economy

• The council will continue to call for more frequent services rather than the current plans for one train per hour to maximise these benefits

• The latest plans to realign the main HS2 route further east north of M1 J29, closer to Bolsover would reduce the impact on residential properties in Woodthorpe and Netherthorpe and on the Markham Vale development

• The revised layout of the Staveley depot fits better with existing plans to develop the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route; the new plans reduce the impact on the Chesterfield Canal restoration project by crossing the canal route only once

• Government should take early decisions about the route and accelerate construction from the north in order that jobs and opportunities for the borough come as soon as possible.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to improve transport links and we want to make sure that Chesterfield people benefit from this.
“There are strong economic reasons for the project and having a stop on the route in Chesterfield as well as a maintenance depot in Staveley will offer great opportunities for our residents in terms of journey times and to grow our economy.
“We are pleased that the revised plans for access to the depot have taken into account our previous concerns but we acknowledge that further work is needed to mitigate the concerns of residents living next to the proposed line and we will continue to support them in this.”

Residents had the opportunity to comment on the proposals for the route in a consultation event run by HS2 Ltd held in Staveley last month.

In developing its reply to the consultation, the council has used networks created through its HS2 board chaired by the council leader which brings together a wide range of partners, including Derbyshire County Council, to maximise opportunities for the route across north Derbyshire.

The recruitment process at Ferdinand Bilstein UK Ltd’s state of the art distribution centre has officially begun.

The first three positions being advertised are for DC Team Managers, and applications are now open. The team manager positions are some of the first full-time opportunities the company has offered at Markham Vale, and the successful applicants will be part of the first group of people to start working at the new state of the art facility, getting the benefits of a brand new, high quality environment and workspace, with the latest technology to assist with tasks.

With up to 200 new jobs being created on the site at Markham Vale, there will be plenty of opportunities to join the company as it continues to gear towards its grand opening. The next recruitment stage will focus on filling roles within various areas of the business, including in the quality inspection department.

Ferdinand Bilstein UK Ltd are organising a huge recruitment open day in September as part of their recruitment drive, allowing people from the local area to have a first look at the new building and facilities. This will offer a sneak peek for those interested in working for the company to see what their day to day environment would look like.

For more information about jobs available within the company click here.

Plus size fashion brand Yours Clothing have officially opened a brand new store within the Vicar Lane Shopping Centre in Chesterfield. The store, which has a dedicated stylist on hand throughout the day to offer advice and style solutions, is based in a great location in the town, close by to Bonmarche and New Look.

This news follows another great year for Yours Clothing as it successfully opened 17 new stores in 2016 and continues to be one of the fastest growing plus size retailers in the UK. The brand is best loved for its quality and value curve collections, offering a fantastic range of clothing in sizes 16 – 36 designed to fit and flatter and at highly competitive prices.

Resh Dorka, Managing Director at Yours Clothing, commenting on this news said:-

“We are excited to be opening a store in a new location within Chesterfield. Offering the latest fashions in sizes 16 – 36 for exceptional prices has always been our promise to our customers, we want them to have a unique and enjoyable shopping experience.”

Barnsley-based property developer Priority Space Limited is the latest business to invest at Derbyshire County Council’s and Henry Boot Development’s flagship regeneration site leading the way to up to 70 new jobs.

The company has appointed Scunthorpe-based construction firm Britcon (UK) Limited to build 13 new state-of-the-art units at the site which are set to be available for businesses to buy from July this year.

The units will range from 1,244 to 3,050 square feet. There will also be on-site parking.

Lee Buchanan, Director at Priority Space, said:

“The start of construction is a great milestone for the scheme − especially so soon after planning was granted.

“It is a significant speculative development in response to strong levels of demand in the area which reinforces our confidence in the potential of the Markham Vale site and the strength of the local economy.”

The latest businesses to join Markham Vale include Ferdinand Bilstein UK, Great Bear Distribution, inspirepac, Gould Alloys, AW Repair Group, MSE Hiller, Squadron Medical, Industrial Ancillaries, Andrew Page, Holdsworth Foods, Ready Egg Products and Euro Garages.

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Policy, Economic Development and Budget Councillor Anne Western said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Priority Space to Markham Vale.

“The firm’s new development will help boost Derbyshire’s economy and create jobs for local people − two key priorities of ours.

“We’re committed to helping businesses of all sizes at Markham and these new units will be great for smaller to medium-sized companies.”

Councillor Western added:

“The site continues to go from strength to strength. It’s now home to 40 businesses and has brought over 900 to jobs to the area so far.”

Vivienne Clements from Henry Boot Developments who are our private sector property partner said:

“We are pleased to welcome this type of investment to Markham Vale, demonstrating the robust demand in the area and the benefits of our established location.

“Priority Space’s speculative development will meet the demand of smaller occupiers allowing us to continue our focus on bespoke buildings of 10,000 square feet plus.”

Great Bear, who are close to completing the fit-out of their logistics centre at Markham Vale, are now in the process of recruiting their new workforce.

They recently held a careers open-evening, which attracted almost 500 people on the night with many more contacts made by email. Current vacancies at the site can be searched at https://culinagroup.mua.hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/index 

The Great Bear vacancies and all the others advertised by companies based at Markham Vale are tweeted through the Markham Vales Grow Your Workforce Service twitter account on @MarkhamValeJobs

Vacancies listed on the twitter account are across a range of disciplines and levels from apprenticeships through to senior management.  In addition to the many Great Bear opportunities other recent ones include opportunities in logistics, welding, mechanical and electrical maintenance, health and safety, marketing and sales, and business administration.