Leisure

£79 million requested from government to deliver Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route

30th August 2019

Derbyshire County Council’s Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route plans have been included in a priority list of road schemes for government funding by Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect, with a request for £79 million to deliver it.

The scheme is amongst 11 in the Midlands submitted to the Department for Transport, as part of a £3.5 billion fund available for local road improvements from 2020-2025.

The Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route will create a new 5.7km single carriageway connecting the A619 north of Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley. It offers an alternative to the often congested A619, supporting new jobs and homes, providing new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, and making five regular bus services that use the existing A619 more reliable.

Midlands Connect was empowered by the Department for Transport (DfT) to work with the 22 councils in its partnership to identify priority schemes to improve local roads in the region. The fund covers upgrades to the Major Road Network (MRN), a new category of the busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads, and Large Local Majors (LLM) schemes, which focus on bigger upgrades to local roads and includes the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route.

Following detailed consultation and a rigorous assessment, Midlands Connect has submitted 11 schemes to the DfT for consideration, in the East Midlands and West Midlands.

The total cost of the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route is estimated at £93 million, including local contributions of £14 million. If successful, Derbyshire County Council would deliver the physical infrastructure required.

The total Midlands-wide funding request to the government is £596 million, with an additional £143 million to be funded locally.

Simon Statham, Midlands Connect’s head of technical programmes, said: “North Derbyshire has huge regeneration plans, including 5,700 jobs alone in the Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor Area Action Plan. This new route is critical to these developments, not to mention the proposed HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley, another huge opportunity to create jobs.

“We are confident that we have provided all of the evidence the government needs to fund all 11 of our priority schemes in full, and we expect to be celebrating a £600 million investment in to the region to help our local authority partners get on and deliver this transformational programme of upgrades.”

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways said: “Unlocking economic growth and access to economic opportunities is a key priority for us and getting the right infrastructure in place is key to its delivery.

“This scheme would be a huge step towards major regeneration in the area, helping to bring much-needed jobs and reduce congestion on the existing road network which would further support local businesses to thrive in Derbyshire.”

Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, said: “I am urging the government to back this investment, which will support new homes and jobs at major development sites, including the HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley. It will make a huge difference to the quality of life and economic prospects of the local community.

“This much-needed investment will reduce congestion on the A619 and make sure we have a resilient alternative to the M1 during incidents and events. I will continue to work with Midlands Connect to support the scheme’s delivery.”

Midlands Connect is encouraging the government to allocate funding for shortlisted schemes as soon as possible to ensure their smooth delivery.

Read the Major Road Network priority scheme submission to the Department for Transport summary report here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Chesterfield Canal 2027 Restoration Appeal

30th August 2019

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has launched a new appeal for funds to finish the restoration of the canal. Its last two appeals raised a combined total of over £100,000.

The Chesterfield Canal was completed in 1777. The Trust is aiming to complete the last nine miles of restoration by 2027 which is the 250th Anniversary of that great event. All the money donated will go directly towards to costs of restoring the canal.

There are six ways to contribute:

One-off Donation, which can be done by cash, cheque or online.
Monthly payment, which can be done by Standing Order.
Certificated Donation, which is for larger donations, which will be acknowledged by a formal certificate. There are four levels – Silver (£100), Gold (£500), Platinum (£1,000) and Diamond (£5,000).
Legacy – increasing numbers of supporters are leaving legacies in their wills.
Major item sponsorship – this could be major pieces of infrastructure such as lock gates, footbridges or lengths of towpath.
Corporate Social Responsibility – the Trust is very happy to discuss opportunities with both public and private sector organisations.

Full details are available on the Trust’s website – search for Chesterfield Canal Trust.

In 1989, the twenty miles of canal from Worksop to Chesterfield were derelict. Since then, 12 miles have been restored along with 37 locks, 11 major road bridges and 2 marinas. The Trust is finalising plans for the restoration of the remaining section between Staveley and Kiveton Park.

Between 1996 and 2003 a new marina was built at Shireoaks and the restoration of 6 miles of canal, several bridges and 31 locks extended the head of navigation from Worksop to the Norwood Tunnel.

At the isolated western end, five miles and five locks from Chesterfield to Mill Green were made navigable between 1990 and 2002. Staveley Town Basin was opened in 2012, the new Staveley Town Lock was opened in 2016 and Hartington Harbour was first put into water in 2018. Much of this work was done by volunteers.

A new terminal basin is the centrepiece of the £350 million Chesterfield Waterside complex currently under construction.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has recently appointed a full-time Development Manager, George Rogers (right), who is working with partners, including the Canal & River Trust and Derbyshire County Council, to realise the Trust’s bold ambitions for 2027.

The Trust’s Restoration Committee Chair, Mark Potter, said: “These are very exciting times for the Chesterfield Canal. We hope that the public will respond generously to our new appeal, as they have in the past, so that we can realise our dream of the canal being fully restored by its 250th Anniversary in 2027.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Visiting

Vicar Lane charity draw raises £376 for The Pilgrim Bandits

29th August 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is thrilled to announce that their draw in aid of The Pilgrim Bandits held on Sunday 18^th August raised an impressive £376.25 for the charity.

The draw, which saw tickets for a unique chair, upholstered in a replica of the uniform of Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson MBE and sold via Total Giving for just £5 per ticket, took place during the Chesterfield Motor Fest. The lucky winner was thrilled with their win but has decided to pay it forward by donating it back to Ben’s charity – ‘Ben’s Challenge’. Ben and his friend Roberta were also collecting for Ben’s Challenge throughout the day.

A second chair was presented to Ben Parkinson himself, as a token of the Centre’s appreciation and to honour him for his achievements, sacrifice and service to our country.

A surprised Ben said: “I’m overwhelmed by the chair and the generosity of Chesterfield people. My chair will take pride of place in my front room.”

Vicar Lane went on to present a further two items – one, a framed montage for Ben’s mother, Diane Dernie, who was unable to attend due to ill health. The montage includes a description that reads:

“I am a soldier but not in a war

I never shot a gun or seen all the gore.

But I go into battle each and every day

from my intended purpose I shall not stray.

There are people who need me, this I know

and from this experience I will grow.

If the truth be told, I’ll say it first

I need them more, It’s them I thirst.

They don’t always like what I have to do

in time though, I think they’ll gain a clue.

It does get tough, I will not lie.

Sometimes it’s easy to just stop and cry.

Am I a soldier? Yes! You can call me that.

But you’ll never see me in straight combat.

Those who know me call me by another.

What was that word? o’h yes, it was mother.”

The second framed montage was presented to Ben’s best friend Roberta Drewitt, who has been raising funds for Ben’s Challenge.

The inscription reads:

“We few. We happy few.

We band of brothers, for he today

That sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother.”

Roberta was overwhelmed by this gift as it was one with very personal meaning. Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane will go to Ben’s home to present the frame to his mum at a later date.

Roberta said: “I cannot believe this I’m sat here smiling so hard. Ben and I are overwhelmed at the support we received on Sunday 18th August at Vicar Lane. We had an amazing time meeting and chatting to the people of Chesterfield. We raised just over £1700 for our charity ‘Ben’s Challenge’ which is just fantastic. We were very surprised that the winner of Ben’s chair has re-donated back to us and cannot express our appreciation and gratitude to them. Ben has decided to auction the chair off at one of our charity events at the end of this year and all monies raised will be donated to Bens Challenge on behalf of the kind people of Chesterfield. Thank you all.”

The draw was a fantastic way for members of the public to show their support for a cause that does so much to help those who make such great sacrifices to serve and protect our country and for one lucky individual to walk away with a unique, statement piece of furniture for their home that is sure to be a talking point for years to come.

The Chesterfield Motor Fest was a hugely popular event, with lots of people visiting Chesterfield to see the cars, enjoy luxury car rides, enjoy live music and explore the many stalls on offer.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “We’re really impressed by the generosity of the people of Chesterfield in our charity draw. The popularity of the event is testament to the appreciation of the people of Chesterfield for the likes of Ben, who sacrifice so much.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Brampton Brewery wins multiple awards at SIBA Midlands Region Independent Beer Awards 2019

29th August 2019

Chesterfield Champions Brampton Brewery took home 2 Gold Medals, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze across multiple categories in both Cask and Bottle at the SIBA Midlands Region Independent Beer Awards, which took place at Peterborough Beer Festival.

The winning beers are listed as follows :

Menin Gate 7.4% – won Gold in the bottled Strong Beers category, and is a premium Belgian Dubbel style ale.

Speciale 5.8% – won Gold in the bottled IPA category, and is a true English style IPA.

Tudor Rose 4.6% – won Silver in the bottled Premium Pale Ales category, and is a hoppy, refreshing pale ale.

Wasp Nest 5.0% – won Silver in the bottled Premium Bitters category, and is a true English Best Bitter.

Impy Dark 4.3% – won Silver in the bottled Dark Beers category, and it a traditional dark mild ale.

Brampton Best 4.2% – won Bronze in cask Best Bitters category, and is a quintessentially British Best Bitter.

Ian Fozard, SIBA Chairman said: “Judges had a tough job separating the pack as the standard was extremely high once again. The winners from the SIBA competition are officially the best independent craft beers in the UK, something brewers should be extremely proud of.”

The SIBA Midlands Region Beer Awards judged a huge range of beers across a number of styles in separate cask and bottle & can competitions. As the awards are judged mostly by brewers, industry experts and beer journalists the SIBA Independent Beer Awards are very much seen as the prestigious ‘Brewers’ choice Awards’ by the industry. In total the Midlands Region supplied 177 different cask ales and 107 beers in bottle or can which were all judged on the day.

Brampton Brewery Managing Director Chris Radford had this to say on their win: “It’s another fantastic achievement for us and testament to the dedication and hard work of all the team we have at Brampton Brewery. Winning awards is not necessarily what it’s all about, but it’s always better to be winning them, than not. It feels particularly special to win here – your peers, industry experts – there’s no higher compliment. We had a great year last year too, but we’ll do what we do – get our heads down and go again.”

Brampton Brewery were formed in 2007, bringing the fine art of craft brewing back to Brampton, Chesterfield for the first time in over 50 years, and resurrecting a once-proud name that brewed successfully in Chesterfield for around 180 years. They now operate 3 tied houses – Rose & Crown and Tramway Tavern on Brampton and The Glassworks on Whittington Moor – and a specialist off-licence at the brewery site on Chatsworth Road.

Brampton Brewery’s Head Brewer, Eve Clarke, is presented with one of the brewery’s Gold Medals at the recent SIBA Midland Beer Competition.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

European Funding set to boost tourism industry in Peak District & Derbyshire

28th August 2019

The tourism industry in the Peak District and Derbyshire is set for a significant boost after the area’s official tourist board secured a further £1.2million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) extending their current business support programme until 2022.

Following the success of the ‘Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’ project (Phase 1), which ran from 2016 to 2019 and delivered £1.3million of business support to over 700 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the area, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire has obtained an extension of ERDF funding.

200 visitor economy businesses are expected to benefit from this phase of the project, which will be launched in the coming months and will run until March 2022.

Called ‘Delivering a World Class Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’, the project aims to improve the quality and increase the profitability of visitor economy businesses in the area through a programme of business support workshops, networking opportunities and a series of small grants ranging from £1,000 to £10,000.

In delivering this project, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire will continue to be supported by Derbyshire County Council, the Peak District National Park Authority, Derbyshire Dales District Council, High Peak Borough Council and University of Derby.

Key themes will include workforce development, extending the tourist season, international tourism, accessible tourism and green tourism – with the overall aim of supporting businesses in the visitor economy to grow in regional, national and international markets.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “Following the success of Phase 1 of our ‘Growing and Developing the Visitor Economy Within Derbyshire’ project, we are looking forward to working closely with our partners over the next three years to achieve more great benefits for the local economy in Phase 2.”

“The Peak District and Derbyshire’s valuable tourism industry is worth over £2.15 billion, attracting 40.45 million visitors each year and supporting over 28,000 jobs.”

“The aims of the project are to drive up the quality and profitability of visitor economy businesses in the area, make the most of emerging international opportunities, and support small to medium-sized businesses though initiatives specifically geared to create more prosperity in this valuable industry.”

Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet member for Economic Development and Regeneration, said: “Supporting local businesses to start, thrive and survive is one of our key priorities.”

“This funding is enormously valuable and will help provide much needed, tailor-made business support to the tourism sector in Derbyshire. It will also support our wider efforts to create more jobs, encourage visitors to stay longer and maintain our county’s reputation as a national and international tourist destination.”

Brendan Moffett, Director of the University of Derby’s Centre for Contemporary Hospitality and Tourism, said: “Tourism is an essential part of the local economy and this valuable ERDF funding will ensure that tourism businesses in the Peak District and Derbyshire can continue to grow and thrive.”

“Together with the announcement of the Tourism Sector Deal in June, which identified tourism as a leading industry for the Government’s future economic planning, it signals a bright future ahead for the tourism industry.”

Image credit: Visit Peak District & Derbyshire

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Council seeks views of Chesterfield residents

28th August 2019

4,000 residents in Chesterfield will soon receive a survey in the post to allow them to give their views on the council and the services it provides.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Are You Being Served Survey is sent out once every two years to a random selection of residents to find out how satisfied local people are with the services provided.

The survey asks several core questions, which allows Chesterfield Borough Council to benchmark their performance on a national and regional basis and help to see how effectively they are serving residents and local communities.

Those receiving the survey are selected from the electoral register and will live in different parts of the borough in both rented and privately-owned properties.

Questions on the survey include those relating to if the council provides value for money; how safe or unsafe you feel; which issues you would potentially like to be more involved in; what you think about your local area; where you find out information about the council and how frequently you visit council venues in Chesterfield.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “As a council, we are here to serve and support our communities. Those communities include our residents and tenants, our businesses, our visitors, our students and our voluntary groups. It is these communities that make Chesterfield a great place to live, work and visit.”

“It is therefore really important that we seek the views of local people in surveys such as Are You Being Served so we can understand more about how we can provide the best service possible at the council.”

Those who receive the survey and send it back to the council can opt to be entered in to a prize draw to win a £50 Love to Shop voucher.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure

Stanedge duo selected for Solheim Cup coaching roles

28th August 2019

Stanedge Golf Club duo Fame Tate and Peter Ball have been selected for coaching roles at the forthcoming Solheim Cup to be played 13^th – 15^th September 2019.

Being played at the magnificent Gleneagles Hotel & Resort, the Solheim Cup is the biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. It is named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim of PING, who was a driving force behind its creation.

Fame and Peter have been selected to work in the swing zone at Gleneagles delivering coaching to the general public who visit the match. This follows on from Fame working at the recent British Women’s Open Championship at Woburn and Peter working at both the Open Championship at Royal Portrush and the Seniors Open at Royal Lytham & St.Annes.

Their invitations are quite an honour for such a venue as Stanedge Golf Club and speak volumes for their dedication and work focused at introducing, engaging and inspiring new people to golf and helping existing players to improve their skills and enjoyment.

The pairs work at Gleneagles mirrors activity provided at Stanedge Golf Club where everyone is welcome from people new to the game to established players wanting to improve their skills. Stanedge run many different coaching initiatives plus lots of opportunities to play golf over the magnificent moorland course situated on the edge of the Peak District between Chesterfield and Matlock in Derbyshire.

Commentating on this new exciting opportunity Fame and Peter explained: “It is an incredible opportunity for both us to work at such a prestigious event together, alongside other top class coaches and for both of us to be representing Stanedge Golf Club and the county of Derbyshire.”

“At Stanedge we work together closely as a team, where we both strongly believe in a player centred approach to coaching. Creating a fun learning environment, enhancing player ownership, self-belief and improving self-awareness of movement, meeting the individual needs of the players that we coach.”

“We are really looking forward to implementing this into our coaching sessions in the swing zone at The Solheim Cup.”

First staged in Florida in 1990 and named after club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was the driving force behind its inception, The Solheim Cup is contested between two teams of 12 players over three days. It follows the same format as The Ryder Cup, with 28 matches – eight foursomes and eight fourballs over the first two days and 12 singles on the final day.

From 9th – 15th September 2019, the iconic venue of Gleneagles will be under the golfing spotlight as The Solheim Cup returns to Scotland, the ‘Home of Golf’ for the first time since 2000. The PGA Centenary Course, on which Europe sealed a thrilling Ryder Cup victory in 2014, continues its match play legacy, providing a stunning battleground amid the rolling Perthshire hills.

The event is not only about the world-class competition on the course, but promises to be a festival of entertainment, activity and fun, with something for everyone.

Stanedge Golf Club has some great benefits, as well as being accessible and affordable, it aims to be family focused, friendly and a fun place to be.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Leisure

Village of luxury homes begins to take shape near Chesterfield

23rd August 2019

This computer-generated image offers a tantalising glimpse of the unique new village being created at a luxury housing development in Derbyshire.

Jones Homes is building a superior collection of three, four and five-bedroom properties at Van Dyk Village, a landmark project taking shape near Clowne, off the A619 between Chesterfield and Worksop.

The development will eventually comprise a total of 52 homes with a large area of public open space.

More than 1,000 people had registered their interest in the homes before the development opened, taking turns to visit and check on the progress of the new village, which has been designed to appear as though it has grown organically over a period of decades.

The first homes at Van Dyk Village are now available for sale and its first residents are likely to move into their homes later this year.

Jayne Swift, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response to the launch of Van Dyk Village. It is a fascinating project which has taken years to plan to ensure every detail is correct.

“We are building a wide variety of mews, semi-detached and detached homes. These will range from three-bedroom properties to a one-off, five-bedroom manor house, which will form a focal point of the village.

“Our visitors are fascinated to see how the plans have evolved and to find out more information about the homes. We are looking forward to opening a show home later this year and to welcoming more people to Van Dyk Village to showcase our vision.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in the homes at Van Dyk Village, and five of these superb homes have already been snapped up by buyers, so I would encourage anyone interested in moving to this highly sought after development to contact our sales team as soon as possible to find out more.”

Van Dyk Village was previously home to a garden centre which had been closed for some years. The land belonged to the owners of the Van Dyk Hotel, located opposite Van Dyk Village on the A619. The sale of the land is helping to fund the expansion of the hotel, which plays an important role in the local ecology.

Before work could begin at Van Dyk Village an extensive archaeological dig took place. It uncovered evidence of people making their homes at the site around 4,000 years ago.

A selection of five-bedroom homes are currently available at Van Dyk Village, with pre-show home prices starting at £595,995.

A computer-generated image of the Van Dyk Village development near Clowne

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Ryan’s ‘life-changing’ Redbrik Half Marathon experience

23rd August 2019

A 38-year-old father of two from Chesterfield has spoken about how running has ‘changed his life’ – and now plans to take on the 2019 Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon.

Ryan Wood, from Netherthorpe, has undergone a ‘complete lifestyle change’ after taking up running just 12 months ago. Last year, Ryan completed the 2018 Peak FM Five Mile Run – one of the Chesterfield Half’s core events – and is now training for the full 13.1-mile Redbrik Half.

Having recently completed the event’s full distance in training, Ryan hopes to tackle the challenging route in less than two hours on 20 October.

“I’ve seen a massive improvement across the board since taking up running,” said Ryan.

“Not only have I lost two stone in weight, but I’ve also undergone a complete lifestyle change. I sit down a lot of the time for work – either driving or in the office – so it was essential that I got up and out more and did something to get active.

“I’m up and wide awake earlier and after going for a morning run. I feel completely switched on, so it’s benefitted me mentally in terms of my productivity and how I feel, as well as physically. Running has had such a positive effect on me – I wouldn’t be where I am now without it.”

The 38-year-old, who lives with his partner and two children, had not run properly before training for the Peak FM Five Mile Run in 2018, when he hit the streets and started on what would be an impressive journey.

And, since starting training for last year’s Peak FM Five Mile Run, Ryan has completed 35 Parkruns in the year since – shaving five minutes off his personal best.

“I didn’t know how I’d feel running in crowds and having people cheering you through the streets,” said Ryan.

“But you can just feed off the energy in the crowd – it was fantastic last year and I can’t wait to experience it again.”

Meanwhile David Beckford, managing director at Pronto Paints, has praised Ryan’s efforts.

The company has returned to sponsor the Redbrik Half Marathon’s Wellbeing Challenge in 2019 following a successful inaugural year which saw 15 businesses enter in teams across all the Half Marathon’s events – the full 13.1-mile Redbrik Half, the Peak FM Five Mile Run and the 1km Blachford Fun Run, which takes part in Queen’s Park during the main event.

David said: “We’re very proud of what Ryan’s achieved since he took up running, it’s amazing to see how far he’s come in such a short space of time.”

“At Pronto Paints, we’re all about workplace health and wellbeing – hence our excitement at partnering with the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon to really push the event’s Wellbeing Challenge.”

“Exercise and physical activity should be a huge part of our daily lives, and at Pronto we’re aiming to engineer exercise back into the workplace.”

“The Half Marathon carries a hugely significant message – running and exercise can be for everyone, no matter what your level of fitness. We hope Ryan’s story can inspire others looking to (literally!) follow in his footsteps.”

The 2019 Pronto Paints Wellbeing Challenge incorporates the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon and Peak FM Five Mile Run, together with the Blachford Fun Run, and will take place on 20 October 2019, with a start time of 9:30am.

To enter the 2019 Pronto Paints Wellbeing Challenge, email info@redbrikchesterfieldhalf.com to declare a group entry. Each group which declares its entry into the Wellbeing Challenge will receive a 10% discount code into the event.

For full details or to enter, click here.

Photo caption: Pronto Paints’ Ryan Wood.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Behind the scenes at the Winding Wheel Theatre

23rd August 2019

Residents and visitors to the town can book a free guided tour of the Winding Wheel Theatre this September, as part of the Heritage Open Days event taking place across the country.

Owned by Chesterfield Borough Council, the theatre is opening its doors to visitors who want to learn more about its history and who would like to find out more about how the venue operates hosting a range of performances and conferences throughout the year.

The Winding Wheel Theatre is a Grade II listed building and was originally built as a cinema in 1923. Attendees will have the chance to ask any questions they may have about its original use as well as seeing both the front of house and backstage areas.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said: “This is the first time a tour of this kind for Heritage Open Days has been organised at the Winding Wheel Theatre, although a similar event was organised at the Pomegranate Theatre a few years ago.

“We hope that local people will enjoy the opportunity to look inside a venue that has been present in Chesterfield for more than 90 years.”

The event is taking place on Saturday 21 September at 10am. Everyone is welcome to attend, although booking is essential as places are limited. Click here for more information or to book.

Heritage Open Days take place every September and see organisations and volunteers across the country organise events to celebrate the country’s history and culture.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Planning application submitted for Activity Centre

21st August 2019

A planning application has been submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council to build an Activity Centre at Peak Resort.

The indoor activity centre will be built at PEAK in Chesterfield and represents the beginning of the phase one delivery of the resort.

The application which has been submitted for consideration by the council is for an indoor activity centre including zip lines, climbing walls, caving, ninja course, trampolining, rope courses, fun walls, adventure golf and e-karts, based at PEAK, Sheffield Road, Unstone, Chesterfield.

PEAK plans to be an integrated leisure, health, sport and education destination on the edge of the Peak District National Park; set on the 300-acre Birchall Estate in Chesterfield.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The council has worked closely with the developer of PEAK for a number of years and is pleased to receive the planning application for the activity centre which if approved will enable the first element of the PEAK resort to be delivered on the site.

“If successful it is anticipated that the centre will create 100 jobs in Chesterfield with more employment expected as the remainder of the PEAK resort development comes forward.”

Developers of the PEAK site are planning a phased development, with phase one costing in the region of £100m and representing approximately one third of the total outline planning permission.

Attractions in phase one are hoped to include: – an indoor adventure activity centre; a lake and amphitheatre; gateway building and travel hub; hotels, covered events space, multi discipline cycling trails and car and coach parking.

Works previously completed on site, thanks to a £2.8 million Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund grant, saw a new roundabout created with access directly connecting the site with the A61 Dronfield bypass.

New multi-user greenways have been formed to link the resort with cycling, horse riding and walking routes in the Peak District National Park, Chesterfield, Sheffield and the countryside in between.

Peter Swallow, Chair of the town’s marketing campaign, Destination Chesterfield said: “It’s fantastic to see the PEAK development continue to move forward with plans for a new indoor venture. As well as creating new jobs for local people and supporting the town’s economy, the site will be an exciting addition to Chesterfield and will be popular with residents and visitors alike.

“Destination Chesterfield has promoted the progress of the PEAK development since its announcement and looks forward to welcoming the development to the town.”

The application is likely to be heard by the planning committee in forthcoming months.

Find out more here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer, Visiting