Property and Construction

International motivational speaker set to inspire people to champion Chesterfield

Chesterfield needs to champion itself better if it is to thrive in 2023 and beyond. That will be the message at this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield business conference.

At the conference, Global Business Awards Motivational speaker of the year 2021, Steve Judge will deliver a mini motivational workshop to inspire and motivate the town’s business community.

Steve Judge will be encouraging people to get behind Destination Chesterfield’s new plan which will see it position Chesterfield as a desirable and contemporary destination for visitors, investors and residents.

The free breakfast conference is being held on Thursday 2 March from 7.30am – 11.00am at The Winding Wheel Theatre.

Fully booked every year, businesses are being urged to book their tickets now to the free business conference.

In addition to Steve Judge, speakers at the conference will also include Andy Byrne, Property Development Director for the Devonshire Group, which is behind the future development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in Staveley.

Now in its twelfth year, Celebrate Chesterfield, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and in association with Addooco IT Ltd, has become a key date in the town’s events calendar and attracts more than 250 delegates each year.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “There is no denying that there are difficult times ahead for the UK economy. However, Chesterfield and its economy is resilient. We have weathered storms like this before and come out of them in a strong position with much to look forward to. The Celebrate Chesterfield event is a timely reminder to the business community of all the development that is taking place in the borough and continues to make it an excellent place to live, work and invest.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “We have a fantastic town with a strong community but to ensure our borough continues to thrive, we must celebrate what makes us special and communicate this clearly to potential investors. I’d encourage members of the local business community to come along to this event to find out more about what we have planned and how we can work together to help ensure our borough achieves its potential.”

Richard Walters, Managing Director of Addooco IT Ltd, the event’s headline sponsor commented: “Addooco are delighted to be headline sponsors of Celebrate Chesterfield and look forward to welcoming all the delegates to this excellent event. We are proudly based in Chesterfield and have been supporting the business community with Managed IT, Cloud and Communications solutions since 2008.

“Not only does Celebrate Chesterfield showcase what is happening in our town, the event is a fantastic opportunity to promote the benefits of trading locally, connecting supply and demand to forge new relationships.”

apprentice IT technician

The event is also being supported by University of Derby, Choice Utility and Markham Vale.

Dan Molloy, Managing Director at Choice Utility commented: “As a company, we are delighted to be supporting Celebrate Chesterfield and helping to shout about what makes the town great. I’ve lived in Chesterfield since I was eight years old, and it has so many great things going for it. The connectivity is excellent from a logistical point of view and the town continues to move forward and evolve. The new developments at Markham Vale and the work being done at Chesterfield Waterside emphasise this. We really do love the town and are excited to play our part in shouting about it.”

A Markham Vale spokesperson said: “It’s great to see Celebrate Chesterfield taking place again for its ninth year – we’re very pleased to be able to support the event. It offers an excellent opportunity to find out more about Chesterfield and everything it has to offer.

“Chesterfield is a fantastic place to do business, as demonstrated by the phenomenal growth we’ve seen at Markham Vale and the creation of more than 2,700 new jobs.”

Markham Vale Business Park

This year, the event will also host the Derbyshire Festival of Business Exhibition, which is designed to showcase Derbyshire’s extensive business offer and capabilities.

Adam Doyle, Head of Business Engagement and Employability at the University of Derby which is supporting the Festival of Business Exhibition said: “We are once again proud to be the headline sponsor of the Celebrate Chesterfield showcase. The event is increasingly significant this year as we look to celebrate local business success in such challenging times, and we are pleased to be able to share this success wider as part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business. The festival plays a key role in continuing to support the business community to innovate and grow, aligned to our aim of raising skills and aspirations across our region. Working with businesses, we are helping to position our county internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”

Celebrate Chesterfield exhibition

Exhibitor space is available at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 and can be booked online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/2023-exhibitor-booking-form/

To find out how you can help champion Chesterfield, book a delegate place at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 by visiting www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

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£2.58m funding announced to enhance North East Derbyshire

North East Derbyshire District Council has been awarded £2.5 million UK Shared Prosperity funding to spend on initiatives to improve the District’s parks, play areas, shop fronts, tourism offer and business support amongst other improvements over the coming years.

The funding will be used to level up across North East Derbyshire (along with the wider UK initiative), addressing geographical inequalities and build pride in place across the whole district.

The Council will deliver initiatives across the District that meet the UKSPF programme investment priorities of Communities and Place, Local Business and People and Skills.

Over the next two years, the Council will invest in projects to make improvements to the public realm, shop fronts, parks, play areas, routeways, village halls and community hubs.

It will also promote the local tourism offer, provide support for businesses, social and financial inclusion activities, green skills training for local workers, and youth activities to address antisocial behaviour. Initiatives will include grant schemes, commissioned activities and focused financial support.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communications, Cllr Alan Powell, said “We are delighted to have received this money which we will use to make a visible difference to our district.

“We have already launched the first round of our Quality Parks and Play Areas grant scheme and we are now pleased to launch the second round as well as the Village Halls and Community Venues and Inclusive Communities schemes”.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Economy, Transformation and Climate, Cllr Jeremy Kenyon, said “Other initiatives, including the Shop Front Enhancement grant scheme, will be announced over the coming months that will have a positive impact on our local communities and will include enhancements to shops and facilities and support to businesses and residents through access to advice and training.

These activities support our vision of a district that is clean and attractive, where people are proud to live and work, where they will prosper and feel safe, happy and healthy and we look forward to reaping the benefits of our investment.”

Details of grant schemes and other initiatives will be publicised on the Council’s website www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/ukspf and through social media.

Find out more about the range of developments taking place across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

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How Chesterfield can be a leader in sustainable housing

How can Chesterfield become a national leader in sustainable housing development for the future? That was the question posed to construction leaders in Chesterfield recently.

The town’s Property and Construction Group gathered to discuss the importance of green development across the town.

Chesterfield Borough Council has set a target of ensuring Chesterfield is a ‘net-zero’ borough by 2050. The organisation is working closely with the sector to find solutions across a range of developments. That includes in both housing and commercial property builds.

Using technology to support sustainable housing

The group first discussed how technological advancements are playing a role in bringing emissions down. Liam Rodda, Business Development Manager at Samsung spoke of the increase in the use of heat pumps in new houses. It is hoped the technology will become just as cost-effective as gas boilers in the coming years.

Liam said: “If you’re putting a heat pump into a new build, there’s not actually a great deal of cost difference compared to a boiler.

“The reality is that heat pumps are easier to fit than most gas boilers. Most competent engineers will be able to upskill in order to fit them pretty quickly. I’m hoping we will see prices come down as we get more labour into it.”

Chesterfield is set to lead the way when it comes to training more heat pump installers. This is thanks to the opening of a newly refurbished training centre by NIBE. Read more about the development, which opened in late 2022 here.

Improving green skills in Chesterfield to power our future

Sustainable skills will also be at the forefront of the new Construction Skills Hub, which is set to be developed in Mastin Moor.

Lynda Sharp, Economic Development Manager at Chesterfield Borough Council spoke about the benefits of the new facility.

Lynda said: “The hub will be an on-site facility linked to a housing scheme at Mastin Moor. That is a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain experience of a live construction site, which will make a big difference locally.”

Another issue raised during the discussion was the viability of retrofitting and insulating existing housing stock, to increase the amount of sustainable housing in Chesterfield.

Jillian Mitchell, of Lomas & Mitchell Architects and Vice-Chair of the Chesterfield Property and Construction Group said: “The big challenge to me in retrofit is how you insulate an existing property without creating more risk of condensation and mould growth.

“The market is so familiar with talking about insulation, and they haven’t really talked about ventilation. Derbyshire is a county where there is a lot of brick and stone, so insulating existing properties is a challenge.”

Cost and viability

Concerns around the cost of sustainable housing was one of the concerns which the forum felt needed to be addressed.

Jillian added: “A lot of what has been done in this country has been incentivised financially. But this has not encouraged people to change their behaviour. A lot of that financial reward seems to be how our industry is driven.

“In Cyprus, they have a scheme where people are able to install a limited amount of PV (solar panels). They are only rewarded if they change their behaviour and reduce the amount of electricity they use. I think that’s what we should be thinking about doing.”

Jim Lomas, Director at DLP Planning Ltd. believes recent climate events have made the sector more focused on cutting emissions, and increasing the number of sustainable housing in Chesterfield: “I certainly think the previous summer has started to focus people’s attention. People have seen some tangible changes in the environment, and it is bringing the issues we face to people’s attention.

“From a construction perspective, we are all probably very informed and alert to it. But the wider public are probably not, and now the penny is beginning to drop. There has to be a cultural change.”

Samsung’s Liam Rodda does believe that new builds are starting to improve from a sustainability point of view: “Terraced houses were built to house a lot of people, very quickly. New builds today are going in the right direction. We’re ticking those boxes more often where the homes are generating their own electricity as much as possible.”

John Short, of JAB Short Ltd. was in agreement, but felt that more focus should be placed on existing buildings in order to make significant change: “It is the existing housing stock that we need to be concentrating on, because that is what will make the huge steps required.”

Working collaboratively to drive change

Jim Lomas stressed the importance of ensuring the younger generation have their say in future developments: “We have got to look at the future generations. Young people will be wanting something more sustainable and will be demanding energy efficient buildings from businesses. We need to give younger people more of a voice and direction in developments because it is their future. However, the viability of schemes is pivotal.”

The session was further evidence of the strong partnership between the private and public sectors in Chesterfield continuing to have an impact.

Lynda Sharp added: “From my point of view, the level of detail and quality of the conversation today shows that we are gaining a greater collective understanding and getting deeper into the issues at hand. From a commercial property perspective, the recently-developed Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre and One Waterside place offices are really good examples of where we should be going.”

Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Group brings together business leaders of the region’s property sector and Chesterfield Borough Council to shape and drive forward collaboration, investment, sustainability and skills within Chesterfield.

Regular forums and networking events are held by the group throughout the year.

If you would like to get involved, find out more about the group at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/propertygroup/ or find out more on Linkedin.

property masterclass sustainability

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Inspire Design & Development’s Lee Barnes appointed to Clay Cross Town Deal board

A board overseeing multi-million pound developments in Clay Cross has appointed Lee Barnes, Managing Director of Inspire Design & Development Ltd. to its board.

Last year, the Government announced that Clay Cross would receive £24.1m of funding to deliver a number of projects contained in the Clay Cross Town Investment Plan. In Clay Cross this means;

  • increasing the skills and productivity of the local workforce
  • improving access to a range of high quality jobs and training opportunities
  • improving the environmental quality of the town and town centre

The Clay Cross Town Investment Plan is focussed around three main areas:

  1. Urban Regeneration – ensuring Clay Cross and town centre is a thriving place for people to live and work;
  2. Skills and Infrastructure – supporting investment and the development of small business, creating opportunities for skills and training;
  3. Connectivity – improving local transport links and improved digital connectivity.

Following a period of extensive consultation with residents and businesses of Clay Cross, ten exciting projects were drawn up to use these vital funds.

The Clay Cross Town Board will serve as an advisory function and will be the vehicle through which the vision and strategy for the Town will be defined. The board will produce a Town Investment Plan, which will inform the Town Deal proposals and include the amount of investment to be secured through the Towns Fund. The role of the Town Board is to:

  • Develop and agree an evidence-based Town Investment Plan
  • Develop a clear programme of interventions
  • Co-ordinate resources and influence stakeholders

The board is made up of local councillors, businesspeople and a range of leaders from local public and private sector organisations.

Speaking on his involvement in the Clay Cross Town Deal, Lee commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Clay Cross Town Deal Board, as a local business owner I consider it a privilege to be able to use my knowledge and experience in regeneration to help shape an exciting new direction for the town.

“It’s my ambition that the benefits derived from the Town Deal funding create a sustainable enduring legacy for the benefit of future generations.”

Staveley is also one of the towns to benefit from Town Deal funding, which means a number of regeneration projects are taking place to benefit local people and increase living standards and job opportunities in the area. Find out more about the Staveley Town Deal here. 

Inspire Design & Development Ltd. supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Lee Barnes Inspire Design and Development

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Housebuilder joins forces with Junction Arts and local school for birdbox art project in Brimington

Housebuilder Bovis Homes, part of Vistry Yorkshire, has teamed up with Junction Arts, a Chesterfield based arts charity, to create a variety of artistically designed birdboxes at its Brimington Heights development.

Junction Arts commissioned artists, Adrian Riley and Annabel McCourt are leading the project, which will see clusters of birdboxes placed around the development site to provide refuge for local birdlife, as well as acting as creative markers for connections with existing public footpaths and rights of way.

In November last year, Adrian and Annabel brought in a third artist, Iona Calvert to work closely with children from Brimington Junior School, involving them in the creative process of being public artists. Pupils from the school spent four days coming up with designs for the exteriors of the birdboxes. Etched on poles supporting the birdboxes will also be quotes from the schoolchildren about the things they value about ‘home’.

Following close advice from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, the birdboxes will come in a variety of different sizes, materials and colours to encourage diversity of bird species, and will be strategically located throughout the development to draw the eye across the various vistas of the area.

The initial plan is for 40 bird boxes to be placed throughout the Brimington Heights development, with the potential for more to come in later stages. Additional artwork created by Adrian and Annabel will also be showcased throughout the site at various locations.

Adrian Riley, said, “We loved working with the children at Brimington Junior School. Over four days they played with pattern, colour and words, made up birdsong, invented new names for colours and sounds and explored what home meant to them, which resulted in some great ideas.

“Their enthusiasm, creativity and humour will help bring the birdbox artworks to life and create something that’s both visually engaging and of benefit to local wildlife. We also hope the boxes will encourage local people to walk the re-opened public footpaths to view the work. They’re intended to bring joy to everyone who encounters them.”

Louise Graham, sales manager at Brimington Heights said: “Bovis Homes strives to work with local communities to gain their valuable input in shaping and enhancing each of our developments. These community partnerships are incredibly important to us and demonstrate our company culture, underpinned by our values, of ‘building better together’.

“It’s been wonderful working with the Brimington schoolchildren and using their creative enthusiasm to help bring the birdbox project to life. The values the children placed on the meaning of ‘home’, and what ‘home’ means to them were particularly insightful and are just the values that we plan to instill within the Brimington Heights development for our buyers as they make their new property a home, and the new development, a neighbourhood.”

“Brimington Heights is in such a beautiful location, this is the perfect project to both cater for local wildlife and enhance the natural spaces within the development for our residents.”

The Brimington Heights development includes a number of other ecological enhancements, such as a native hedgerow that has been planted along the northern boundary of the site, providing a landscaping buffer as well as a feeding corridor for wildlife.

Brimington Heights comprises 150 three, four and five-bedroom homes, and provides options for those stepping onto the property ladder for the very first time, growing young families needing a bit more space, as well as those looking for a place to downsize after children have flown the nest.

Junction Arts supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Birmington Heights Arts

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Local businesses, schools and education providers invited to help shape the future of education and skills delivery

‘Careers Made In Chesterfield’ – a brand new Careers Workshop pilot, which is designed to inspire and inform local students, will be launched at this year’s Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference.

Schools and employers, who are keen to support the future career and job opportunities for local young people, are being urged to attend the free annual conference to learn more about the exciting initiative.

The Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference, which aims to strengthen links between education providers and businesses, is returning for a seventh year and will take place at the Winding Wheel Theatre on Wednesday 8 February, from 8am -11am.

Confirmed speakers at the go-to event include Andy Byrne, Property Development Director for the Devonshire Group, which is behind the Staveley Works scheme. He will be updating on the innovative Construction Skills Hub, which is set to provide specialist training for thousands of learners as part of the Staveley Town Deal.

Alongside Andy Byrne, Julie Richards, Principal of The Chesterfield College Group will be speaking at the event. The College, with support from the University of Derby, has been appointed as the training provider for the new Hub. Over 10 years, the public/private sector collaboration aims to provide training, careers insights, and work experience for over 5,000 learners.

The conference will also welcome students from Whittington Green School and apprentices from Tarmac as well as Cllr Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council.

The conference is an opportunity for businesses, schools and education providers in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire to come together and shape the future of education and skills delivery in the area.

During the morning, businesses are invited to feed into local and regional skills plans and help shape the strategic direction through discussion of business needs, challenges and successes.

Organised by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, with support from Derbyshire North Careers Hub, the conference is part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business programme and open to all businesses, schools and education providers in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire to attend.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This year’s Skills and Employability Conference looks set to be another packed showcase of the exciting opportunities and aspirations which exist across our borough. It’s a great way to strengthen the links between business and education, which ensures that our young people can develop the skills local employers need – creating a thriving and ambitious local workforce for the future.

“On the day, we will be delighted to be joined by students from Whittington Green School and look forward to hearing from senior leaders at Brookfield Community School about steps we can take together to develop robust career strategies that will further benefit the borough’s young people, along with an employer panel that will be chaired by Tarmac’s apprentice.

“The spotlight will also be on some of our innovative skills projects which are moving ahead in the borough, including investment in the Construction Skills Hub through the Staveley Town Deal which is set to create some fantastic opportunities for thousands of learners over the coming years, especially young people living in the Staveley area.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, commented: “With over 15,000 students set to gain their GCSEs and A Levels over the next five years in North Derbyshire, a strong and successful partnership between education providers and local businesses is critical. We need to ensure young people have the right skills, are work-ready and can make the most of the employment opportunities available in a wide range of sectors and industries on their doorstep. This conference is the first step in making this happen.”

Tickets for the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference are free and can be booked at https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/chesterfield-north-derbyshire-employability-skills-conference/.

2023 employability eventbrite image dfob

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Progress continues at £30 million housing development near Chesterfield

Progress is continuing on a major North Derbyshire housing development, with potential buyers now invited to see what is on offer at Alma Place in Holmewood.

Chesterfield-based Avant Homes Central has opened a design-led, four-bedroom showhome at the £30m development, which is located off Williamthorpe Road.

The 143-home development comprises a mix of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Prices range from £185,995 for a two-bedroom semi-detached property to £259,995 for a four-bedroom detached house.

Interested buyers can now visit the popular three-storey Dalton house type showhome to experience Avant Homes’ latest specification at first hand.

As with all properties at Alma Place, the showhome features a flexible open-plan living space, designer kitchen with integrated appliances and boutique bathroom complete with tiling which is available in a selection of designs.

Avant Homes Central sales and marketing director, Dawn Bennett, said: “As a Chesterfield-based business, we’re excited to be making great progress at Alma Place to provide much-needed housing for buyers in the local area.

“Our collection of design-led homes is proving to be hugely popular. I encourage anyone interested in a new home in Holmewood to visit our Dalton showhome to see for themselves why they are in such demand.”

Avant Homes Central currently has nine live developments ranging from Chesterfield to Mansfield with many more due to start as the business continues to implement its growth plans.

The company is part of the Avant Homes Group, one of the leading private developers of residential property in the UK.

Whether it’s a town or village experience, contemporary or traditional housing, buying or renting, living in Chesterfield and the surrounding area is affordable and offers something for everyone.

With friendly and welcoming communities it’s a safe place to live and bring up a family. Surrounded by stunning countryside but with lots to offer in the town there’s plenty to see and do.

Find out more about living, leisure and working in Chesterfield here.

alma place

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Chesterfield Property and Construction Group: “We are truly excited by what lies ahead for Chesterfield”

Chair of Chesterfield’s Property & Construction Group, Andy Dabbs has penned his thoughts on a productive 2022 for the sector. Andy also shares his optimism for the group and wider investment and developments across Chesterfield as we head into 2023.

It is hard to imagine that it was only in the December of last year, we were still operating under the cloud of the pandemic, uncertain if the rise of a new variant would threaten the recovery of our industry and our attempts to return to ‘normal’ business activity.

However, as we sit here now, reflecting on 2022 and looking forward into the new year, uncertainty feels like it has become the only thing we can be certain about. The formation of Chesterfield’s Construction and Property Group (CCPG) in 2020 was ultimately about providing greater sector focussed support for the Town and local property businesses through public and private sector collaboration, and now heading into its third year, I believe we have never been better placed as a network to support each other in an exponentially changing and increasingly volatile industry.

Positively, throughout this period and now its 2nd year since its formation, Chesterfield Property Group members has continued to work hard maintaining a meaningful platform for engagement connecting both the public and private sector together. The group has maintained a clear focus on key themes centred around promoting the town, the skills and future talent agenda, business engagement, the climate emergency and importantly providing support to our Local Authority who continue to work tirelessly in their efforts to support the town and the property sector.  The group has tailored its activity over throughout 2022 focussing on delivering tangible and meaningful outputs, some of these including:

  • Property Forums – updating local property businesses on the latest market activity
  • Skills and Talent masterclass – bringing key figures from property and construction alongside key skills and training providers to discuss how the sector can overcome the skills issue
  • Quality and Sustainability masterclass – discussing sustainable development in Chesterfield, and why this is critical for future of the town
  • Investment Summit – hosting a property focussed Q&A session with Chief Executive Hue Bowen and Council Leader Trisha Gilby
  • Regular social media activity – highlighting some of the key issues in the industry such as skills, sustainability, diversity in the sector and promoting developments taking place in the town etc.
  • A variety of networking and social events including walking tours, and brewery visits. supporting business to business relationship development

Property and Construction Masterclass Chesterfield

There is no question that the current economic outlook will pose challenging for those operating in the Property sector, but we must be careful not to be consumed by negative media, and instead businesses must focus on their ‘own economy’ and work even harder to invest in building resilience against any uncertainty. The property group believes that the best way of doing this is by working collaboratively together, sharing our experience, and working hard to unlock and connect each other to the wide array of opportunities across the region.

Despite everything, Chesterfield continues to attract interest from the investment market, and with the secured levelling up funding, will see the continued regeneration and development of our built environment over the coming years. The town is rich with potential and opportunity, and we are delighted that the Property Group has played a small part in supporting in its success over the last few years.

As the Property Group looks forward to the year ahead and the activity plans start to take shape, we are truly excited by what lies ahead for Chesterfield and the wider Borough. We will look forward to building upon our existing relationships whilst forging new ones as the Group continues to evolve and adapt to support the developing needs of the town.

If you work within the Property and Construction Sector and would like to hear more about the groups developing plans, please get in touch by emailing PropertyGroup@Chesterfield.co.uk

Property and Construction Group Chesterfield

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Optimism over ‘green shoots of recovery’ in 2023, says East Midlands Chamber study

The East Midlands economy has suffered a series of knocks throughout the year, with cost pressures hitting businesses hard – but there are hopes for a more optimistic outlook in 2023.

This is the verdict of East Midlands Chamber after its latest research, which showed a decline in customer demand for products and services, investment intentions and recruitment prospects – yet a slight upturn in business confidence for the year ahead.

As part of its Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), which is delivered in partnership with the University of Leicester School of Business and gauges the health of the region’s economy, the Chamber produces a State of the Economy Index to provide an “at a glance” picture showing the direction of travel for the local economy based on aggregated indicators.

It has trended downwards every quarter since the start of the year to reach its lowest level since the end of 2020 – a period of local Covid-19 restrictions and the beginning of a second national lockdown – but underlying data in the Q4 2022 survey offers room for optimism.

East Midlands Chamber director of policy and external affairs Chris Hobson said: “2022 has been a difficult year economically, with a series of events negatively impacting activity and sentiment – some out of our control and others self-inflicted.

“Domestic demand and international activity has softened slightly as the year has gone on, with cashflow deteriorating and investment intentions down.

“Recruitment difficulties have been the perennial issue, with this final set of data suggesting a drop-off in businesses seeking to grow their workforce.

“However, within that data lies a multitude of experiences, not all negative, and some signs for positivity as we enter 2023.

“Although business confidence – which affects tangible decisions like investment – has dropped significantly from where it was at the start of the year amid the war in Ukraine, political stability and policy flip-flops, there has been a small rise in optimism over profitability and turnover prospects during the final quarter of the year due to a more consistent approach to policy.

“While the gradual slowdown in demand has created capacity within the economy – opening the pressure valve on prices that has been one of the inflationary drivers – there are also signs that other drivers of inflation are starting to soften.”

Key findings from the Quarterly Economic Survey Q4 2022 for the East Midlands*, which was conducted between 7 November and 1 December 2022, included:

  • UK sales stagnated between the third and fourth quarters of the year, with UK advanced orders down by 9%
  • Overseas sales were up by 5% quarter on quarter but advanced orders decreased by 2%
  • The proportion of businesses that added to their headcount in the past three months fell by 8% compared to the previous quarter, while there was a similar decline in firms expecting to recruit new staff in the next three months
  • A net 57% of businesses expect they will be forced to raise prices as they grapple with rising costs for energy, interest rates, people, raw materials and fuel – although this is down from 62% and 58% in the previous two quarters
  • A net 17% of firms reported a decrease in cashflow, marking a 3% rise in the proportion of companies affected
  • A lack of room at the margins means investment intentions continue to trend downwards – falling by 6% quarter-on-quarter for plant and machinery, and 8% for training
  • After nosediving in recent months, business confidence in the prospects of profitability improvements rose 10% compared to the previous quarter, although optimism over improved turnover was down by 1%.

Chris added: “To turn these green shoots into real economic growth in 2023, it is essential that policymakers work with businesses to support them in their growth aspirations.

“Our Business Manifesto for Growth, launched at Westminster in November, provides a blueprint for this.

“While there is no one silver bullet, an immediate action Government could take is to better incentivise business investment in equipment and training, reducing inflationary pressures by both creating further capacity and softening the impact of high staff costs.

“Policy and geopolitical events aside, the biggest thing businesses will be hoping for in 2023 is a bit of calmness and consistency from those taking decisions on the direction of the UK economy – along with meaningful engagement with those businesses that will ultimately deliver the growth to ensure any recession is not just shallow, but short.”

The results will be discussed at the Chamber’s Annual State of the Economy Review on Friday (16 December), held in partnership with the University of Leicester, Geldards and emh group at Memorial House, in Coalville.

Professor Mohamed Shaban, associate dean for business and civic engagement at the University of Leicester School of Business, said there was support available for businesses affected by the economic climate.

He added: “We are proud of our long heritage providing research-informed knowledge exchange to businesses in the East Midlands and beyond through degrees, management development courses such as Help to Grow: Management, business support services, internships, placements, consultancy, knowledge transfer partnerships and contract research.

“Our academics thrive on solving business problems with world-changing research and innovative solutions providing real-world impact.”

To read the full Quarterly Economic Survey report for Q4 2022, click here.

East Midlands Chamber supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Markham Vale extension to create 800 new jobs locally

An extension has been approved to build on the hugely successful Markham Vale business park, next to the M1 in Derbyshire.

Markham Vale was established as a joint venture between HBD and Derbyshire County Council back in 2006 and now hosts more than 2,700 jobs across a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and logistics.

Markham Vale is home to a range of business uses, including Daher Aerospace which is exporting monorail parts to Cairo, Grangers International which manufactures waterproof outdoor products and shoe care products, and Sterigenics, which makes sterile healthcare products.

Devonshire Property Group will continue its work with the commercial developer HBD at Markham Vale and hopes to create around 800 new jobs for local people, with a scheme that pays strong attention to its natural surroundings.

The project includes an extensive landscaping plan that makes the most of the site’s existing features, whilst protecting and improving the river corridor. Significant planting will include c. 5,700 new trees (including 2.15ha of new woodland planting), 3.7ha of new grassland habitat and two kilometres of new native hedgerow to screen the development and create areas of new habitat.

This creates a 10% improvement of biodiversity net gain over the existing ecology value, in excess of current policy.

The success of the existing business park has led to the site running out of space to accommodate large space users and without this new development, Markham Vale will have to turn away investment from the growing industrial and logistics sectors, who require large units at locations with good access to the motorway network.

The site itself comprises two non-protected agricultural fields, bounded by the M1 to the south and keeping a large separation distance between the business park and the village of Woodthorpe. The final design of the buildings will be in accordance with the established design code for Markham Vale, which fixes a limited palette of colours to minimise visual impact. All vehicular traffic will use the existing highway network to allow easy access to the motorway.

Andrew Byrne, speaking on behalf of Devonshire Property Group commented: “The extension to the business park at Markham Vale is expected to create up to 800 new jobs for local people at what is a very successful development already supporting 2700 jobs in a variety of sectors.

“We’ve put in place an extensive landscaping plan, which includes protecting and improving the river corridor, and extensive tree and hedgerow planting as well as a large area of grassland. We’re also working with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to improve the wildlife habitats on a nearby site that will result in an overall 10% net gain in biodiversity. This is a high-quality extension to a highly successful employment location, with the aim of making a real contribution to the strength of the local economy.”

Devonshire Group and HBD support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Markham Vale Business Park

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Council takes next step to safeguard the future of Chesterfield’s historic Tapton House

Proposals to safeguard the future of Chesterfield’s historic Tapton House – ensuring the Grade-II* listed building can be restored and brought back into beneficial use – have been considered by Chesterfield Borough Council.

A sympathetic scheme which would see the building restored and converted for residential accommodation, together with a commitment to retain the parkland for public use and create visitor access to part of the Georgian mansion, was chosen as the preferred option by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday (13 December).

The decision followed careful consideration of bids from 17 interested parties, with the council’s Cabinet approving the sale of the property on a 999-year ground lease to developers, Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd. The sale is subject to further legal due diligence and exchange of contracts.

Councillor Dean Collins, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “Just like the people of Chesterfield, we want to achieve the very best outcome for Tapton House. This is why we set out to find a new owner with the necessary expertise and financial ability to restore and refurbish Tapton House and safeguard its long-term future.

“The council’s Cabinet considered a detailed report on the bids received and the robust process that has been followed to evaluate and score each against a range of relevant criteria – including evidence of proof of funds, and that conservation and environmental matters have been properly considered.

“The offer put forward by the preferred bidder represents the most credible, sympathetic and financially viable option to restore and safeguard the building for generations to come, and the developers have made a commitment to work closely with the council, the Friends of Tapton House and the wider community, as their plans progress.”

Any development will still be subject to planning and conservation approvals, but the proposals put forward set out an aspiration to convert the main house into 15 apartments, with three town houses and two bungalows built in place of the annexe buildings.

Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd have confirmed that no hard boundary would be required and open public access to the parkland would continue. The developers would also seek to create a public heritage area in the building to ensure its past use as the home of Charles Paxton Markham and George Stephenson are celebrated and the importance of the property to the town’s history continues to be commemorated.

Councillor Collins added: “I would like to express the council’s thanks to all 17 bidders who submitted offers to take on this treasured asset. In arriving at a final decision on this important matter, Cabinet members also considered the many views that have been expressed and representations made at earlier council meetings – including the debate on the Friends of Tapton House’s petition.”

A spokesperson for Stone Castle Enterprises Ltd said: “Our vision for Tapton House is to reflect its heritage, honour its past and to create new homes within the space that are steeped in history but built for modern lifestyles.

“We understand the significance of Tapton House to the local community and as such our proposals include maintaining the current levels of public access to the grounds around the building and exploring the viability of developing part of the building to showcase Tapton House’s rich heritage.

“We look forward to working hard, alongside the council and the community, to deliver the best for Tapton House and for the town and borough.”

The Cabinet decision is subject to the council’s usual call-in procedures.

Tapton House

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