Chesterfield investment

Derbyshire’s investment strategy named one of best in Europe by FT

Derbyshire’s strategy for attracting overseas investment to the county has been named as one of the best in Europe in rankings compiled by the Financial Times.

Part of Marketing Derby’s Invest in Derbyshire service involves attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to the county.

And in the prestigious Financial Times’ fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 rankings, Derbyshire has been placed fifth within the top 10 Small Regions for FDI Strategy category, which recognises the regions who have devised the strongest strategy for attracting investment.

Derbyshire is ranked alongside other regions in countries across Europe, including Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Croatia, Spain, Norway, Austria and Serbia – and is the only UK region to feature in the top 10.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “This is really good news as we have put a lot of effort into developing the successful Marketing Derby inward investment service into the county.

“We have worked very closely with our partners at Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Economic Partnership and Destination Chesterfield in doing this.”

Derby and Derbyshire also enjoyed success in a category which recognised the efforts of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

The D2N2 LEP (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) was ranked seventh in the Connectivity category.

fDi Intelligence is a service from the Financial Times and is the largest Foreign Direct Investment centre of excellence globally.

The rankings are one of the industry’s most prominent benchmarks of FDI competitiveness.

For this year’s rankings, fDi’s research team assessed 356 European cities and 148 European regions.

Both awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held at MIPIM, the global property fair that is set to take place in Cannes, in the south of France, next week.

The success comes hot on the heels of the launch of a new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus, showcasing 23 projects that will help lead the county’s regeneration.

Mr Forkin said: “The investment prospectus lists over £1 billion of opportunities across Derbyshire.

“This complements our new Invest in Derbyshire website and promotional films, which have just been released.”

A number of developments are currently underway in Chesterfield, providing a range of fresh investment opportunities across the town. They include Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway, Elder Way, Staveley Regeneration Corridor, Markham Vale and much more.

For a full overview of the developments taking place across Chesterfield, go to https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

Find out more about why Chesterfield is an ideal place to locate your business, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

To read a digital version of the new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus please click here.

 

Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

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Chesterfield Museum prepares for multi-million pound renovation

Chesterfield Museum is set to close in preparation for a multi-million-pound renovation project that will create an enhanced and improved customer experience.

It is the next step in the refurbishment of Chesterfield’s historic Stephenson Memorial Hall, which houses the museum and The Pomegranate Theatre.

Proposals for the renovation of the Grade 2 listed building are due to go before Chesterfield Borough Council’s Planning Committee on Monday 28 February and, if approved, the museum will close from Tuesday 1 March to begin the complex process of moving the historic collection into safe storage.

The project is projected to cost around £15 million with £11 million of funding being secured via the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. Chesterfield Borough Council has received almost £20 million through this Government fund, the other £8 million will be used to support and enhance the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Project.

Together this funding will help ensure that Chesterfield is a vibrant market town by improving connections across the town centre and enhancing the visitor economy.

Under the plans the refurbished Stephenson Memorial Hall will bring together an extended Pomegranate Theatre, a reconfigured and modern museum, alongside new gallery space, a café bar, education and community facilities.

The work will also protect the Grade 2 listed building and ensure that it remains part of the borough’s heritage for many more generations to come.

Creating a more accessible experience is another key aim of the proposals. The plans include a new lift which would help disabled guests access the circle and upper museum floors and to compliment this there would be an increased number of wheelchair spaces within the theatre.

Also included in the plans are improvements to lighting, heating, and ventilation.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, explained: “Stephenson Memorial Hall is one of our most striking buildings and these exciting plans are set to make it even more memorable and enjoyable – creating a modern visitor experience in the heart of our town centre.

“Our wonderful museum is a central part of the building and we’re now preparing for the huge and complex task of moving thousands of treasured items that are in our local collections to a safe, temporary home. Subject to planning approval, the museum will close at the start of March, and building work is set to begin later in the year.”

Items in the collection will be securely stored in a controlled environment to ensure preservation. One of the signature pieces, the medieval builder’s wheel, will be stored with a specialist renovator who will clean it whilst work progresses in the building.

Councillor Sarvent added: “We’re working hard to make sure people will still be able to enjoy our theatre and museum attractions in new and innovative ways while the transformation of the building is carried out.

“Our team at the museum regularly host interactive activities and events to help all members of our community connect with our history and we’re exploring even more ways to do this over the coming years – you’ll be able to find out more about our plans on our website and social media pages soon.”

Revolution House, which tells the story of the Revolution of 1688, will reopen on Friday 15 April. The free museum will then be open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from 11am to 4pm until Sunday 18 September.

Whilst the Museum collection is moved the Pomegranate Theatre will continue to operate as normal and tickets can be booked by calling the box office on 01246 345 222 or by visiting www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk.

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World leading company moves to Markham Vale

After spending several decades in their old site at Staveley, BeaconMedaes Limited, the world’s leading medical gas pipeline (MPGS) turnkey provider has recently relocated to a 42,000 sq. ft. facility in Markham Vale.

Having outgrown their old premises in Staveley, the move indicates the growth the business has experienced over recent years.

The new facility on Greaves Close has two clear objectives for the company. First, it is an opportunity to improve logistics support by consolidating the company’s off-site storage and expanding their export stock holding, centralising export picking, and bringing their export packing in-house. Furthermore, the facility will house the company’s UK Customer Centre which acts as a global Competence Centre for HTM medical installation in the UK and across the Globe. Alongside three floors of office space, the building hosts a demonstration area and a state of the art training facility.

With the company’s move there is a real focus on sustainability and environmental improvement. The consolidation of logistics will bring a solid reduction in their road transport footprint and the use of solar panels, alongside a complete switch to LED lighting which will help them to deliver on their sustainability commitments.

General Manager, Sean Fairest commented: “The relocation of our business is an exciting time for everyone. We are very proud of our new home in Markham Vale and are delighted to add our globally recognised brand to the growing list of successful companies on this prestigious site.

“Looking to the future, this long-term commitment to expansion sends a clear message to the market that BeaconMedaes is determined to build on its history by further strengthening our position in the market for decades to come. I see no reason to doubt that we will be in Markham Vale for as long as we were in Staveley and with this, we will add to the growing reputation of Markham Vale as a Blue-Chip site.”

Markham Vale 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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