Development

£1.27m investment to aid D2N2 Growth Hub in ‘powering up business’

1st September 2016

The D2N2 Growth Hub has been awarded £1.27million in European funding – guaranteeing its services to businesses in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has agreed to part-fund the D2N2 Growth Hub, with £1.27million from the £97m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) allocation for the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) area, to guarantee Growth Hub services until March 2019, and improve its offer to businesses in its area.

Part of the private sector-led D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – which promotes economic growth and jobs creation in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – the Growth Hub was launched in December 2014. It works with partner organisations including local authorities, universities and businesses to provide free and impartial support and advice on training, growth and accessing funding to expand.

A recent survey of a sample 200 Growth Hub clients showed 88% (176) would recommend its services to a fellow business.

Since its creation, the D2N2 Growth Hub has:

helped over 2,400 businesses to access free and impartial support and advice;
run events and workshops – including with partner organisations – to inform businesses of its services;
commissioned and managed the delivery of additional business support services, including a high growth business support programme;
been ‘Highly Commended’ for the design and accessibility of its website (at www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk ).

The new funding agreement for the D2N2 Growth Hub will ensure that its core services – a dedicated phone line, business advisers, a bespoke website and network of business support providers – can provide an improved service to its customers.

It will provide a full time Growth Hub Manager to drive and co-ordinate the project, increased ability and capacity to handle a greater variety of business support enquiries, enhanced marketing and communications, and enable increased working with partner organisations. These will help the D2N2 Growth Hub to strengthen its connection to business support in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire by providing 4,000 businesses with the support they need between now and 2019 – assisting them to create jobs and grow.

Through some of the D2N2 LEP’s local authority partners – Derbyshire County, Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City, High Peak Borough, Derbyshire Dales District and Chesterfield Borough councils – the core D2N2 Growth Hub service will be enhanced through a network of local business support advisers.

David Williams, Chair of the D2N2 Growth Hub’s Project Board, said:-

“The D2N2 Growth Hub continues to provide Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire businesses with support, advice and information.

“This new funding agreement builds upon our excellent track record, and the belief by Government in our commitment and ability to help the D2N2 business community grow and prosper.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Demolition of the former Queen’s Park Sports Centre approved

31st August 2016

A planning application seeking permission to demolish the former Queen’s Park Sports Centre was approved by councillors at the end of August.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee decided the building, which closed at the end of December 2015, can be demolished, with landscaping of the site carried out until plans are developed for the future use of the land.

The existing building, in Boythorpe Road, has to be demolished because it is no longer economically viable to keep running due to not being energy efficient, not being up to modern environmental requirements and having high running costs.

As a result of the application going to the planning committee the public consultation on future use of the old site will now take place between Monday 12 September and Friday 21 October.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said: “We are turning our attention to the future use of the site.

“We have been researching a whole range of potential options for the site and assessing whether they are viable from a planning perspective, as we need to protect the historic grade two star listing of the neighbouring park, by ensuring any future use is compatible with that leisure setting.

“In this time of cuts to council finances we also need to ensure that whatever goes on the site is either cost neutral or generates income for the council that can then be used to help towards the costs of running Queen’s Park and future improvements to that site.”

This week security fencing has been installed around part of the former Queen’s Park Sports Centre building to address concerns about anti-social behaviour around the park. The fencing is designed to prevent vandalism or potential break-ins and is not related to the demolition.

The former sports centre closed when the new £11.25 million Queen’s Park Sports Centre opened further down Boythorpe Road in January 2016 on the Queen’s Park Annexe site.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Plans approved to transform former Chesterfield Post Office

30th August 2016

Plans to breathe new life in to former Post Office in the heart of Chesterfield’s historic market place have been given approval by Chesterfield Borough Council under delegated powers.

Designed by WCEC Architects on behalf of national developers Telereal Trillium, the grade II listed building will be transformed into seven luxury apartments across the first and second floors, whilst the ground floor will be converted into 3,557 sq.ft. of retail/leisure space with 653 sq.ft. of ancillary service space at basement level and a rear communal courtyard.

Mark Kelly, Director of Disposals ＆ Development at Telereal Trillium said: “We are thrilled there has been such a positive local response from the community and likewise the council to move this scheme forward, in restoring such a historic landmark building in the Town centre.”

Nick Fenton, Associate Director at WCEC commented: “Working closely with the planning department and the conservation officer we have maintained the buildings original character and fabric with the addition of a modern complimentary rear extension. The overall proposition successfully enables the change of use whilst accentuating the existing structure and detailing.

We are keen, as are the developers to progress works on such a fantastic local scheme that will contribute positively to the town centre.”

An occupier for the ground floor retail and leisure space is currently being sought. It is anticipated that works to the site can begin as early as the end of this year.

Posted in Business, Development

University campus to open this October

30th August 2016

A new University of Derby campus due to open in Chesterfield on October 17 will help transform the region’s health care sector and boost the town’s growing advanced manufacturing industries.

Building work at the former St Helena’s Grammar School for Girls is on target for the official opening, which will unveil some of the best teaching facilities for nursing in the UK – including an NHS-standard mock hospital ward.

Degrees in Engineering, Business and IT across the new campus and at Derby will support Chesterfield’s growing advanced manufacturing industry and allow businesses to upskill their workforce and better equip employees for their careers.

After lying disused for many years, the Grade II listed building in Sheffield Road has been sympathetically restored in keeping with its origins as a pioneering educational establishment designed by internationally acclaimed Victorian architect George Widdows.

“The University of Derby has a strong tradition of giving old buildings new life, and the completion of the renovation of St Helena comes in the year we also celebrate a decade in the beautiful Devonshire Dome in Buxton,” said Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, Professor Margaret Bruce.

“Although we have long had a presence in Chesterfield, we are very excited about this development and have been warmly welcomed by the town. We hope that our expansion will contribute greatly towards Chesterfield’s economy and enrich the lives of its people.”

The building will include a new Innovation Centre which will provide access to facilities and support services for small to medium-sized enterprises and business start-ups, including product development, testing equipment and incubation units.

Research commissioned by the University into the economic impact of its Buxton Campus showed that it supported 500 jobs annually through a total spend of £32 million, a result which it is hoped will be replicated in Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Online fashion retailer opens store in Chesterfield

30th August 2016

Style Loft, an independent retailer specialising in ‘cultured clothing’ and ‘street styles’, have recently opened a store in Chesterfield.

The online business has enjoyed increased success trading nationwide over the last two years, so much so, that they were able to open a new hybrid store for their customers. The store identifies itself as the first ladies hybrid store in Chesterfield offering customers coffee, cakes and shakes whilst they shop; provided by local retailers Smith Street Coffee Roasters and Butterfingers Bakery.

Style Loft’s company ethos is to provide an easy, helpful shopping experience with complimentary style advice. The store hopes to remain on trend and competitively priced.

Emily Simister, a representative from the shop, says:-

“I am so passionate about fashion, setting up my own store was something I had to do. Choosing the location was easy, it had to be my home town.

“I strongly believe Chesterfield is becoming more and more cosmopolitan and I see Style Loft developing and expanding within the area. I love being alongside so many unique and independent businesses.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Greek restaurant ‘Odyssey’ to open in September

23rd August 2016

Odyssey restaurant opens its doors to the public on 20^th September. The Greek restaurant, centrally located on Knifesmithsgate in the old The Queens Head Pub building, hopes to combine traditional English architecture with Greek hospitality, culture, taste and cuisine.

Owned by a Greek family, now based in Chesterfield, the restaurant hopes to fill a gap in the market for Greek restaurants in the town. Aptly named “Odyssey”, the restaurant promises a journey into Greek flavours and traditions.

Konstantinos Diamantidis, a representative from the restaurant, says:-

“Our intention is to make you feel that you are somehow back in Greece, or if you have never been, maybe to give you a taste of your next holiday.

“My Grandmother (yiayia) used to say that there is nothing better than homemade food and taught us to eat and cook only the best. Now years later, we as a family will try to give you a taste of what Greek families believe good quality Greek food tastes like.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

£3.5m to help food and drink firms’ hungry for success

23rd August 2016

Food and drink manufacturers looking to expand, take on extra staff, develop new products and access financing will be aided by a £3.5million programme, part-funded by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Food Enterprise Advisory Support Team, or FEAST programme, will be delivered in the D2N2 LEP’s area by the Nottingham-based Food and Drink Forum; an industry-led, not for profit body set-up in 1998 to support and develop the food and drink sector, and represent it at a regional and national level.

FEAST will run for three years, beginning this summer (2016), and cost £3.5m.

The Forum will provide half the programme’s costs and the other half will come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) portion of D2N2’s allocation of €251m in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). D2N2 is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, higher and further education providers, and community and voluntary organisations which promotes economic growth and jobs across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

FEAST’s services will support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and drink manufacturing sector by providing:

an annual review of the sector’s performance, available to all businesses;
technical and business advice;
business mentoring;
tailored events for sector businesses, designed to share and promote good practice, and develop business partnerships;
an apprenticeship programme for the sector, to support job creation and skills development;
capital grants for SMEs looking to expand.

D2N2’s Growth Hub will help those running the FEAST project to engage with SMEs in the area. The Growth Hub supports new and established SMEs with help in business strategy and growth, marketing, networking and accessing funding for expansion; using its regional and national business networks to enable businesses to find the right help.

Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“Food and drink manufacturing is one of the UK’s most innovative sectors but smaller companies often don’t have the resources of big global brands to gather market intelligence, innovate and address technical issues.

“The FEAST programme is designed to help SMEs keep their competitive edge and develop their businesses. D2N2 is proud to be making a major investment in this three year initiative in one of its eight key sectors.”

The FEAST funding follows similar major investments in two other three-year projects by D2N2, again through its European Regional Development Fund monies, earlier this year.

Companies interested in benefiting from the project can contact the D2N2 Growth Hub for further information on 0333 006 9178 or by email to info@d2n2growthhub.co.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

Employment continues to rise

17th August 2016

The number of people in work in the East Midlands increased in the quarter which ended a week after the EU Referendum.

Total employment across the region rose 24,528 from 2,270,286 in the three months to April 2016, to 2,294,544 in the quarter to the end of June 2016, according to figures recently released.

The figure from the Office of National Statistics was 34,652 higher than the same period last year and 74,601 up on two years ago.

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseekers allowance across the region also fell in the month following the referendum. Derbyshire recorded a drop of 25 from 2,530 in June to 2,505 in July. In Chesterfield there were 1,145 out of work claimants in July, only a slight increase of 5 claimants on last months figure, now matching the national average of 1.8%.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “These figures remain very positive and show that, despite the uncertainty leading up to the referendum, businesses continued to recruit in the months before the vote and immediately afterwards during July.

“Much of this recruitment will have been planned before the referendum and there have been reports claiming recruitment has fallen since the vote so next month’s figures will probably be the first real indication of how businesses reacted to the vote to leave the EU.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

York House set to open Bank Holiday weekend

16th August 2016

Another new business is set to open in Chesterfield this August Bank Holiday weekend.

York House Bar and Brasserie is an exciting new all-day food and drink venture on St. Mary’s Gate, which will be serving hand-pulled real ales and craft beers alongside a fine selection of wines and proseccos (some of which are extracted from their very own vineyard in the Puglia region of south eastern Italy). The kitchen will be producing fresh, seasonal Mediterranean dishes including authentic tapas and sharing boards.

Their first floor mezzanine hopes to offer a perfect spot for eating, socialising and watching the various live acts performing at ‘York House Live’, which will run twice per week. The venue’s boutique delicatessen, will also be selling luxury artisan food and drink products along with one-of-a-kind gifts.

Director, Dan Power, said:-

“We are proud to be moving into this prestigious area and extremely excited about working with other local businesses; helping to give Chesterfield and its visitors a greater eating and drinking experience.

“There’s been an influx of excellent new food and drink offerings in the town in the past year or so, and we’re really looking forward to becoming part of the thriving new scene.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure

New look Northern Gateway scheme approved

1st August 2016

A revised Northern Gateway scheme has been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council to improve the town’s northern entrance and create 489 jobs.

The new plan will see:

A major refurbishment of Saltergate multi-storey car park, which will see it modernised and the number of spaces increase from 408 to 529
A business enterprise centre built on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park for start-up and small and medium sized businesses
Environmental and street improvements to Elder Way and part of Knifesmithgate, including wider pavements to create a terrace area

The £19.9 million revised project also includes the £10.5 million redevelopment of the Co-op store by Central England Co-operative and their partners Jomast Developments.

They already have planning permission for a leisure scheme that will include:

Six ground floor restaurants
A hotel on the first and second floors
A health and fitness centre in the basement

Premier Inn and Beefeater are two of the companies that will occupy the site.

The revised Northern Gateway project will be funded by a Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund grant of £5.83 million and £3.5 million from Chesterfield Borough Council, with the Co-op redevelopment being paid for by the private sector.

Councillor John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader and cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We had to completely rethink our original plans for the Northern Gateway after the closure of the Co-op building and the change in the economy which meant that large food retailers were no longer looking to build large new stores.

“But by working with the owners and developers of the Co-op building we are now able to deliver the restaurant and leisure aspects of the original scheme.

“At the same time the Saltergate multi-storey car park is reaching the end of its working life and has to be refurbished.

“By incorporating this in to the scheme we can deliver a brighter and modern secure parking location that will meet the needs of shoppers, commuters, visitors and the hotel and restaurant users of the redeveloped Co-op store site.

“The addition of the enterprise centre to the plans enables us to meet the growing demand for business space in the town. Having a site like this in a town centre location will also support the existing town centre economy.

“The revised project is another example of how Chesterfield can benefit from gaining funding from the Sheffield City Region to deliver projects that will create jobs in Derbyshire.”

Work on Saltergate multi-storey car park is due to start this November and to be completed in summer 2017. The environmental improvements to Elder Way and Knifesmithgate will take place during 2017. Work on the enterprise centre is expected to begin in summer 2018 and be completed by summer 2019, subject to planning permission being given.

A rethink of the original plans for the Northern Gateway began last year after it became clear that no large food retailer could be attracted to the site, which was necessary to make the rest of the scheme viable.

The original plan also included proposals for town centre housing. While this is not in the revised plan, it remains an option for the future.

Councillor Burrows added: “The new parts of the revised scheme are in our hands which mean that we can directly control the delivery of them.

“We want to see more housing in the town centre area but I think it is important that we press on with the revised plan first and then look at that again once this work is well underway. But in is still very much a desire of ours to deliver more town centre housing.”

Sheffield City Region has already approved a £5.83 million grant in principle for the revised scheme but a full business case can now be submitted, which is required to get the final sign off for the funding to be paid.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Great Bear Distribution get the keys to new base at Markham

28th July 2016

Great Bear Distribution is the latest and largest business to get keys to new premises at the regions flagship regeneration site leading the way for up to 400 new jobs.

The firm’s new 480,000 square feet distribution centre has taken eight months to build and is made up of enough concrete to fill 11 average size houses and enough steel to stretch 1,000 metres above Mount Everest.

Now work to kit out the inside of the building will begin and the official opening at the site located off junction 29A of the M1 motorway is expected to be in December this year.

Established in 1994, the Chester-based firm operates in 30 locations nationwide providing warehousing and distribution for clients such as PZ Cussons, BMW, and Unilever.

Glenn Lindfield, CEO of Great Bear Distribution, said:

“We are extremely pleased with how quickly Henry Boot Developments and Bowmer & Kirkland have been able to deliver our new 480,000 square feet distribution facility at Markham Vale.

“The bespoke unit will add a significant amount of additional capacity to the Great Bear network and with the immediate access to the UK motorway system, Markham Vale will provide us with an advantage to servicing our clients up and down the country.”

Heage-based construction firm Bowmer & Kirkland was awarded a £16.2m contract to oversee the project by Henry Boot Developments.

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

“We’re delighted to welcome Great Bear Distribution to Markham’s growing network of businesses and pleased they chose the site for their expansion which is set to create up to 400 new jobs.

“Markham provides great opportunities for small, medium and large businesses to expand or relocate so please get in touch to find out what’s available for your company.”

Existing occupiers at Markham Vale include Meter Provida, inspirepac, Gould Alloys, AW Repair Group, MSE Hiller, Squadron Medical, Industrial Ancillaries, Andrew Page, Holdsworth Foods and Ready Egg Products.

Ben Ward, Director at Henry Boot Developments, said:

“We are extremely pleased to announce the completion of our largest unit on Markham Vale.

“This unit will become Great Bear’s flagship distribution centre in the UK and will act as a vital hub within the company’s portfolio.

“Markham Vale has become a well-established and successful development. It is a central UK distribution hub and Great Bear are an excellent addition to its occupiers.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development