chesterfield housing Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Destination Chesterfield

Refurbishment of older persons housing in Chesterfield shortlisted for three awards

9th December 2020

A £3.8m investment to transform and modernise housing schemes for older people in Chesterfield has been shortlisted for three awards at this year’s Constructing Excellence East Midlands Awards.

The project, which has seen the refurbishment of Brocklehurst Court, Glebe Court and Catherine Court has been shortlisted for the ‘Building Project of the Year’, ‘Health, Safety & Wellbeing’ and the ‘Integration & Collaborative Working’ at this year’s awards that will take place virtually on Friday 4 December.

Each of the older persons housing schemes have been refurbished and modernised by Chesterfield Borough Council’s main contractor, Fortem Solutions Ltd. as part the council’s commitment to investing in its housing stock to ensure that a supply of affordable, modern and attractive homes can be maintained for local residents in every stage of life.

The transformation of the sheltered housing in Chesterfield began in October 2017, when Chesterfield Borough Council appointed Fortem through the Efficiency East Midlands Framework. Brocklehurst Court was the first scheme to undergo a facelift, with the outdated 1970s building of bedsits and small flats converted into 17 comfortable one and two-bedroom flats.
After the success of Brocklehurst Court, Chesterfield Borough Council tasked Fortem with the £1.5m refurbishment of Glebe Court, then the £1.5m overhaul of Catherine Court, where properties refurbished throughout to create both a bright and welcoming living environment for residents.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We’re delighted that we have been shortlisted for these awards and it is great to be recognised for the work that has been put in by Fortem and the council to help improve housing for older people in our local community.

“We are committed to improving the quality of life for local people and a key part of our housing strategy is to make sure that our homes are of excellent quality and create a modern and desirable environment. The specification and quality of the work on these schemes has drawn attention from other local authorities, with representatives visiting the schemes in order to see how they could transform sheltered housing in their areas.”

James Taylor, Contracts Manager at Fortem who is leading the Chesterfield refurbishment schemes, said: “The refurbishment of the sheltered housing schemes across Chesterfield has been an amazing journey. The transformation of the properties, through collaborative design and on site working between Fortem and Chesterfield Borough Council, have led to a sector leading standard of refurbishment.

“We are proud to work with the Council on schemes which are in the heart of the local community. The works have allowed us to provide a sociable, light, and spacious living environment for the residents, while supporting social initiatives such as Gussies Kitchen and the Cosy Hub, ensuring we leave a legacy in the area which will be felt for many years to come.”

The project to transform and modernise sheltered housing in Chesterfield is in progress, further works are in progress to refurbish Mallard Court and Leander Court and works will then follow on at Aston Court. When complete all the Council’s sheltered housing will have been transformed into high quality affordable homes for our older residents.

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Work completed on 10 new apartments in the heart of Chesterfield

25th November 2020

A-Rock Construction have completed a new development of 10 luxury apartments located on Saltergate, in the heart of Chesterfield town centre. Moss Court has been designed with the over 50’s in mind. The one and two bedroom apartments are available for rent from December 2020.

Following a selection process, A-Rock Construction commissioned Derbyshire based artist, Dennis O’Connor to create a piece of public art which would be visible from the street and encourage people to reflect on the past use and history of Saltergate.

The road itself is named Saltergate due to its past association as the principal route used by the Cheshire to Chesterfield salt trade; believed to date from at least the 12th Century. Currently, there is nothing to commemorate or recognise this aspect of the town’s history and this design celebrates this historic trade route which gave the name to one of Chesterfield best known roads.

The gate is highly decorative and is constructed from stainless steel. Dennis O’Connor of Sculpture Works researched the history and created a beautiful design to fulfill the brief. The design includes reference to the rich history of Chesterfield as a market town, depicting a market stall on the cobbled marketplace. The Crooked Spire can be seen giving the piece a nod to the site’s more recent history as the home of the former Chesterfield FC Social Club and previous home to the Spireites.

Rockie White, Director of A-Rock Construction Ltd – “This project has been a great experience to be part of. We have enjoyed the process, from understanding more about local history of Saltergate through to manufacture and installation of a piece of art that can be enjoyed by residents and local people alike. We are delighted with the gate and feel it gives Moss Court a unique piece of artwork that finishes off the development perfectly.

Local Estate Agents, Lime Living have also been appointed as letting agents for the new development, which has been named after Chesterfield F.C’s record goal scorer, Ernie Moss.

Lime Living owner, Jamie Wajs said: ‘We are delighted to be appointed as the letting agents for Moss Court and to be associated with a famous local name which is held in high regard by many Spireites. The apartments are finished to an excellent standard throughout, thoughtful in detail & stylish appearance and offer excellent close to town centre living.

The interest shown so far as we start to conduct initial viewings has been very encouraging and the feature gate is receiving many complimentary comments. It is great as a local independent agent to be working with a respected local business in A-Rock Construction.’

Lime Living Estate Agents supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.