Chesterfield Borough Council is seeking the views of interested parties to bring forward the development of the Northern Gateway regeneration scheme.

The council has appointed Chesterfield-based architects WCEC Group to come up with designs of how Elder Way could be developed to make it a more attractive environment for residents, shoppers and visitors.

WCEC is holding meetings with groups including taxi drivers, bus companies and businesses on Elder Way to find out what types of landscape improvements they would like to see in the development of Knifesmithgate, Elder Way and parts of Saltergate outside the former Co-op department store.

No decisions have yet been made on what will be included in the area.

Following the consultation meetings WCEC will produce a proposed design of how the area could be redesigned. The plans will form the basis of a public consultation with residents that will be held in late March.

The landscape improvement works will be partly funded by a £5.83 million grant from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-

“The Northern Gateway scheme is key to regenerating the northern side of the town centre and is set to create around 500 jobs for local people.

“We are keen to hear the views of groups who work day-to-day in the area to see what improvements will benefit them before gaining the views of residents.

“We are really pleased to be working with a Chesterfield company on this scheme as they have extensive local knowledge and are in the best position to help bring the vision for the site to reality.”

Andy Dabbs, Design Director of WCEC, commented:-

“We are delighted to have been appointed on such an important project in a town that is also our home!

“The importance of this regeneration project cannot be underestimated and we are looking forward to working closely with the council and their stakeholders in delivering what we will be a landmark development for Chesterfield.”

The Northern Gateway scheme will see the development of the former Co-op department store and a new enterprise centre on the site of the current Holywell Cross (Donut) car park to help more local businesses to grow, complementing the existing innovation centres at Dunston and Tapton Park.

The first stage of work has been carried out on the refurbishment of the Saltergate multi-storey car park with further work expected to take place later in the year.

The owners of one of Chesterfield’s newest bar and restaurants, Bottle & Thyme, are looking to expand their workforce just one month after opening due to the ‘overwhelming response’ it has received from customers across the area.

A joint venture between entrepreneurs Stephen Milner and engaged couple Gavin Grainger and Hannah Milner, the venue offers a relaxed café bar environment serving locally-sourced beverages and rustic style food during the day, and a sophisticated bar boasting live music and botanical-infused cocktails and craft beers by night.

With strong legal support from the business legal services department of law firm Banner Jones, the ambitious team took over the lease on the Knifesmithgate site in September of last year, before officially opening the doors to the public less than three months later on December 17.

Now, just weeks later, the venue is set to further bolster its 10-strong team of baristas, bar staff and chefs in response to high demand from customers throughout the day and into the evening.

Gavin Grainger, Co-owner and Director, said:-

“We have been absolutely blown away by the support we have received to date from our customers, as well as everyone who has helped us get Bottle & Thyme to where it is today – particularly Ian Osborn of Banner Jones who has been a huge help throughout.

“We are now looking to recruit a number of new members of staff and are focused on building the right team to ensure that we continue to further our reputation for excellent service delivered in a laid back, trendy environment. Training, as a result, will of course be a key ingredient.”

Despite demand from customers exceeding expectation to date Gavin, Stephen and Hannah all say they remain committed to continuing to work with other Derbyshire-based businesses to meet their supply needs wherever possible – including Arden Coffee in Clay Cross, Owen Taylor and Sons Butchers in Leabrooks, Brampton’s JMJ pottery and fellow town centre-based business Chocolate by Design.

Taking over the former Barclays Bank space, which had previously sat empty for a significant period of time, the business offers a range of gluten free food and drinks – with head chef Tom Barnett responsible for delivering a unique menu offering predominantly free-from options.

And despite setting their sights on expansion and growth in the future, Gavin says the priority is to ‘solidify’ the brand’s existing offering first and foremost.

Gavin said:-

“Over the coming months our absolute priority is ensuring that this venue is getting it right, and that includes constantly listening and responding to feedback with regards the menu, the service, the live music, the drink options and the atmosphere.

“What we don’t want is to be become victims of our own success; having to compromise on our vision for the venue, or our ambitions to source everything locally where possible and make everything from scratch because we have tried to expand too quickly.

“That said, when the time is right I have no doubt we’ll have just as much fun launching venue number two as we have getting the original Bottle & Thyme up and running.”

Ian Osborn, Solictor at Banner Jones who are working with Bottle & Thyme, said:-

“It is fantastic to see such a unique and vibrant brand such as Bottle & Thyme come to Chesterfield and it was immensely rewarding to work closely with the company in negotiating a suitable lease from the landlord with concessions that have allowed the new venture to prosper.

“Chesterfield has seen significant regeneration over the last few years with exciting opportunities for new businesses cropping up all of the time.  It was terrific to be involved with the development of Bottle of Thyme from the outset and I wish Gavin, Stephen and Hannah all the very best for the future as the brand grows.”

Family run business SDL Minorfern – an independent distributor of car and van replacement parts – has marked further expansion with the purchase of a head office and warehousing centre at Clay Cross, Chesterfield.

Yorkshire Bank funded the private sale of the premises which comprises over 40,000 sq. ft. and includes parking for 60 vehicles and a large dedicated unloading area for articulated lorries and containerised freight.

hlw Keeble Hawson’s commercial property team led by partner, Alaric Birch, acted for SDL Minorfern and Yorkshire Bank – arranging and managing the bank finance and overseeing the sale processes.

Founded in 1978, SDL Minorfern, which employs 260 people, operates nine branches across Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire.

Holland House, which also includes a retail branch, is three times bigger than its previous headquarters which were also located at Clay Cross.

Nick Holland, Managing Director at SDL Minofern, said:-

“The purchase of our new headquarters marks a formative milestone in the development of the company – and is instrumental in our growth targets and increasing efficiency.

“hlw Keeble Hawson was recommended to us as the ‘go to practice’ for a commercial conveyance of this size and the service from Alaric and his team was impeccable. Both they and Yorkshire Bank worked effectively to ensure a smooth and timely completion.”

Alaric Birch, added:-

“This major development – which entailed SDL Minorfern bringing two separate warehousing operations and management, accounts and procurement teams under one roof – paves the way for continued success for the business, which has established itself as a leading player in its field.”

Steve Wicks, Relationship Manager at Yorkshire Bank, said:-

“SDL Minorfern is a family business, in a highly competitive market, that recognises the value of first-class customer service. Yorkshire Bank is pleased to support the firm’s latest expansion.”

Staveley Town Council is delighted to announce that the refurbished Staveley Hall is now open.

The £4.8 million refurbishment on the Grade II listed hall was funded, in the main, by European Regional Development funding, Heritage Lottery funding and directly by Staveley Town Council.

The first floor of the historic building, now contains 9 first class office units fitted with high speed broadband, whilst the ground floor facility is set to be used for meetings, weddings and other organised events.  To facilitate larger events there is also the option of using the external air hall, a £150,000 inflatable marquee that seats up to 90 people.

The first phase of the project saw the refurbished stables block open in 2014 and the mix of 11 office units and workshops are now fully occupied.

Chris Ludlow, Leader of Staveley Town Council, stated:-

“I am delighted that Staveley Town Council has successfully delivered this restoration project for the people of Staveley and the surrounding region. Community use will be high on our agenda and this is another building block in the regeneration of the town.”

Work is now underway on a major commercial development at prime business and distribution park Markham Vale, after planning permission was granted just before Christmas.

This phase will see the formation of 13 highly adaptable units ranging from 1,200 – 3050 sq. ft.; providing modern warehouse space benefitting from a high-quality specification, designed to address a chronic shortage of supply in the market set against strong levels of demand.

The units will be available to buy, presenting a unique opportunity in the market for businesses to own a building on Derbyshire’s flagship business park.

Property developer Priority Space, in a joint venture with Hunt Group, have appointed Scunthorpe based construction firm Britcon as main contractor; with units expected to be ready for occupation from July this year.

Property consultancy Commercial Property Partners LLP (CCP) has been instructed to market the new development alongside Fernie Greaves.

Lee Buchanan, Development Manager 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.”

Stuart Waite, Partner at CPP, comments:-

“We are delighted to have been appointed agents for this high-quality, flagship Derbyshire Business Park. Delivery of this scheme addresses a real shortage in the market of high quality starter units, especially ones available to buy, and indeed we are already speaking to a number of interested parties.”

Markham Vale is a key employment site in the region with occupiers including Gould Alloys, Inspirepac, Meter Provida and Great Bear already committed to large scale warehousing and distribution facilities on the 200 acre park.

The ‘Walton Works’ development, will see the restoration and conversion of the Grade II* listed Walton Mill and Mill Terrace.

The plans are for a mixed use hybrid, planning and listed building applications for retail floor space, a public house and residential development.

Guy Robinson, Finance Director and Company Secretary for Robinson PLC said ”

‘We are very pleased that after 14 years of trying, we have now found a basis to move forward with the redevelopment of Walton Mill and its surrounding land. The unanimous backing of the planning committee and the very positive attitude shown by the planning team really does give us the confidence to push ahead with our plans’.

The development will regenerate the 24 acre brownfield development site adjacent to district retail centre on Chatsworth Road (A619), which is the main arterial route from Chesterfield and the M1 to the Peak District and includes:

• 3,430m2 of new retail developments
• A new public house
• Conversion of the listed Walton Mill with 1,430 m2 retail/commercial space on the ground floor and 26 residential apartments above – alternate uses for the Mill still may be considered.
• 22 dwellings close to Mill – 11 in existing listed cottages – 11 new
• Two residential blocks containing 76 dwellings
• 300 new dwellings on Boythorpe Works

Read the full details of the development.

BHP Chartered Accountants has recruited more graduates, trainees and school leavers than ever before.

The 24 new starters, comprising of 12 apprentices, eight graduates and four placement students, will work across a variety of disciplines in the firm’s five offices in Chesterfield, Sheffield, Leeds, Cleckheaton and York.

The firm, which is Yorkshire’s largest independent firm of Chartered Accountants, is already looking to appoint a similar number of new recruits for the 2017 intake, with applications now being taken.

Trainee opportunities have been provided across a number of specialist departments within BHP, including Audit and Accounts, Tax, and Corporate Finance and the trainees will be covering a wide variety of specialist sectors. These latest appointments bring the firm’s total employee figures to over 310.

Lisa Leighton, Partner at BHP says:-

“We have always been extremely committed to finding, hiring and training the next generation of talented accountants, and this intake will form an integral part of the firm’s future success as we continue to expand our business.

“We are confident that these new recruits will further enhance the level of service that our clients have come to enjoy.”

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Chesterfield fell to 1,120 in December, the lowest figure recorded in the town during 2016.

Across the East Midlands, figures released by the Office for National Statistics this week told a similar story, with the number of people out of work in the three months to November down compared with the three months to August 2016.

According to the Office for National Statistics, despite improved Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant figures and a drop in the number of people unemployed, the number of people in work fell in the three months to November 2016 compared with the three months to August.

But the trend, as shown by the year-on-year and two-yearly figures continues to show more people in work.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said:-

“This month’s figures are, once again, very positive and confirm the results of our Quarterly Economic Survey for the end of 2016 which is that the East Midlands continues to be a key driver of the economy. Despite the uncertainties of Brexit, and partly because of them, regional firms are continuing to create jobs and wealth.

“The lower value of the pound against the euro and the US dollar, in particular, has made UK-made goods and services cheaper overseas. Combined with a strong reputation for quality, this has led to increased international demand for the ‘Made in Britain’ brand and exporting companies have recruited to cope with demand.

“This has an impact all the way down the supply chain, creating jobs at all levels, which is good for the regional and national economy.”

But Scott warned that inflationary pressures, brought about as a consequence of higher-cost imports – the flip-side of a weaker pound – will eventually rebalance the books.

He added:-

“Higher prices in shops and at fuel pumps, which we’re already seeing, will lead to demands for wage increases which, when coupled with higher manufacturing costs, will put pressure on employers to raise prices or find other ways of making savings and we would be surprised if that didn’t lead to a drop in employment levels later in 2017.”