Chesterfield market

Find your next career at the Chesterfield Market Recruitment Event

People searching for work in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire are being invited to a recruitment event where they can, learn more about the Kickstart vacancies, meet employers and get help to perfect their CV.

Chesterfield Borough Council has teamed up with DWP Jobcentre Plus to stage the event – designed to give job seekers a helping hand to find their next role and support local businesses to recruit. This will include hospitality, leisure, construction and health care businesses which are all struggling to recruit following the pandemic.

There will be a special focus on the Kickstart scheme, which provides 16-24 year olds with a six month paid work placement, that could lead to a full time role. There will be the opportunity to find out more about current placements by speaking to the employers directly.

It will run between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday 15 September at Chesterfield Market Square, with employers from sectors including Hospitality, Retail, Warehousing, Logistics, Customer Service, Administration and more still to be confirmed attending on the day.

Find out more about the event here.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Events like these are a great way for job seekers to directly meet employers in the area, and hopefully find the right opportunity for them – while helping local businesses fill their vacancies at a time when some sectors are struggling to recruit.

“Working with our partners in North East Derbyshire and Bolsover, we’ve been supporting virtual jobs fairs over the last 18 months and feel it’s important to host this face-to-face event now that restrictions have eased. It gives employers a chance to speak to their potential employees and it gives job seekers a great opportunity to make a fantastic first impression.

“If you’re looking for work, then this event is here for you. Not only will you be able to find out more about current opportunities, you can also get support to develop your CV, interview skills and covering letters.”

Julian Sutton, North Derbyshire Employer Lead & Kickstart District Account Manager, said: “The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Chesterfield Jobcentre Plus Offices (Markham House and Steeplegate) are looking forward to working collaboratively with Chesterfield Borough Council to co-host the Chesterfield Market Place Recruitment Event and bring this fantastic opportunity for the local residents of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire. On offer will be a fantastic array of new employment skills, employability skills, jobs and Kickstart vacancies through our local Partner organisations and Employers.”

The drop-in event is open to everyone, with no need to make an appointment, but job seekers registered with Jobcentre Plus can reserve their place by speaking with their work coach.

There will also be a selection of local training providers and other organisations who will be able to offer help and support with your job search. They will be able to offer advice on apprenticeships and the training available.

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People encouraged to have their say on the future of Chesterfield Market

Market traders, town centre retailers, residents and visitors are being encouraged to have their say on ambitious plans to revitalise Chesterfield Market by taking part in a public consultation which launches today (Monday 2 August).

Chesterfield Borough Council is seeking people’s views on plans to create a vibrant open-air shopping experience with new event space, seating, and landscaping – to help shape the council’s final proposals for Chesterfield Market.

The draft Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Vision Master Plan aims to ensure the market area remains a modern shopping destination, despite the challenges posed by a rise in online shopping and, more recently, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said: “We recognise the need to invest now to make sure Chesterfield town centre remains modern, vibrant, and relevant – and our market is a key part of that.

“As the heart and soul of our town centre, we must do all we can to make sure that Chesterfield Market continues to prosper in today’s world, as a destination of choice for traders, residents, and visitors.

“These ambitious plans lay down a new vision for Chesterfield Market and are based on what market traders, town centre retailers and residents told us they wanted to see when we asked for initial feedback on the project.

“We are now encouraging even more people to have their say on the plans in a public consultation, which runs for six weeks.”

The draft Master Plan proposals were approved by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 20 July and will be out for public consultation from today through 12 September 2021, with initial work set to begin on site early 2022.

Key proposals include:

  • The re-siting of market stalls currently located in New Square and on Low Pavement into a single market ground of 100 stalls in Market Square – creating a more defined and vibrant market area. The area will also include a flexible events space.
  • The re-modelling of New Square as a flexible events space – able to hold large-scale events, and accommodate temporary installations and active edges linked to local bars and restaurants
  • Upgrades to the paving to improve the quality while also making it more accessible for people dependent on wheelchairs, pushchairs, or mobility aids
  • The introduction of new seating areas and attractive landscaping to create spaces where people want to sit and chat whilst taking in what the town has to offer
  • The planting of more trees to increase biodiversity and improve the street scene
  • Brighter and more vibrant stall coverings and flexible stalls supplied with water, better lighting, and digital connectivity

The council’s plans have also been developed with due regard for the Conservation Area including giving greater prominence to the Market Hall and the town pump, which is currently obscured, by opening-up the public space in these areas.

Councillor Sarvent added: “We all treasure Chesterfield’s historic market and I know many people will have views on how they want to it to look and feel in the future, so I would encourage as many people as possible to take a look at the plans and tell us what they think. Their views will be used to shape the final proposals.”

Due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic, this second phase of consultation will be carried out via a virtual exhibition – available to view at https://market-consultation.chesterfield.gov.uk/

Exhibition documents will be available to view at Chesterfield Market Hall and interested parties can also obtain paper copies of the questionnaire from the council’s Customer Services Centre, just off New Square.

Respondents to the public consultation will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 worth of Love2Shop vouchers.

The council has already secured £1.15m funding through the Derbyshire Business Rates Pilot and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. Further funding for later phases is being sought as part of a bid that the council has recently submitted to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Terms and conditions for the prize draw can be found at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/terms-and-conditions

Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield

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Love Chesterfield Community Market Launches

People are being invited to show their appreciation for local community and voluntary organisations which provided a lifeline during the pandemic, with the launch of a new Love Chesterfield Community Market event being held this summer.

The family-friendly day will give local charities, community and voluntary organisations a chance to promote their work and raise much-needed funds following the challenges of the last 18 months.

It is being organised by Chesterfield Borough Council as part of the new-look summer events programme, and will be a chance for local people to come together and say thank you for the vital support which these grassroots organisations provide to the borough’s residents.

Local groups are now being invited to book their free place at the market, which will be held in Chesterfield town centre on Tuesday 10 August.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy, said: “Over the last year the community and voluntary sector has been a lifeline for our community and this is our chance to thank them and to help support their fundraising efforts to ensure they can continue the incredible work that they do.”

There will be a variety of stalls, street food, walkabout entertainment and small funfair rides. A competition for the best dressed stall will also run on the day.

Regular market traders will also be able to book a place on the Market for just £10 per stall with all money raised going to the Mayor’s Appeal, which is raising funds for The Volunteer Centre – Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield Samaritans this year.

Local charity, voluntary and community organisations are being invited to take a free stall on the market to promote the work that they do and fundraise. Stalls will need to be prebooked in advance via www.chesterfield.gov.uk/markettrading.

The Love Chesterfield campaign is being run by the council and Destination Chesterfield to encourage people to discover or rediscover the great shopping and leisure experiences that the town centre and high streets have to offer, as restrictions continue to ease. People can find out more at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/love-chesterfield

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New festival aims to build on town’s recent plastic-free accolade

Chesterfield campaign group, Plastic Free Chesterfield, is aiming to build on their recent Plastic Free Community award by organising a Plastic Free Festival, taking place on Sunday 8th August, 10am-5pm on New Square at Chesterfield market.

Organisers say the Plastic Free Festival aims to be the one-stop place to help people to reduce their single-use plastics. At the event, festival-goers can enjoy a plastic-free marketplace with stallholders selling products that encourage a plastic-free lifestyle, with businesses such as the award-winning Steph’s Sustainable Stuff, Elsie Moss Botanical, Astra Designs UK and Smarties Fruit & Veg.

Alongside the stalls will be craft recycling and upcycling workshops provided by local crafters. And to provide a festival-feel, there’ll be live music and dance performances along with food and drink courtesy of local Plastic Free Champion business, El Cafe Verde.

Special guest performances on the day include Nick Toczec, Yorkshire poet and entertainer, as well as the Chesterfield Garland Dancers. Local budding poets are being asked to take part in a Plastic Free Poetry competition, with winners performing at the festival itself.

So that the event can live up to its name, attendees will be encouraged to bring their own reusable bags, cups, coffee mugs and containers. And two Crooked Spire branded festival cups (a reusable coffee cup and a half pint cup), sponsored by local Chesterfield businesses, will be available either to loan or buy at the event.

 

The festival is sponsored by Chesterfield Borough Council, with over £700 of funding for the event coming from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy grant scheme.

Greg Hewitt, Plastic Free Chesterfield Community Lead said: “The Plastic Free Festival will be a really great opportunity to show off the fantastic work that the Chesterfield community have achieved so far to reduce their single-use plastics, celebrating our recent Plastic Free Community accreditation. The festival is the first of its kind in the area and aims to help the public to discover some fantastic local independent businesses, of which all are reducing their plastic footprint.”

“We are delighted that not only has Chesterfield Borough Council given us some funding to be able to run the event, they’ve also given us permission to hold the festival on New Square on Chesterfield market. It will be a great family fun day out.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’re proud to be funding the Plastic Free Festival, by working together with the community we can make real changes that will help improve the local environment and help us all reduce our carbon footprint.”

“The festival is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to understand how they can lead a plastic-free lifestyle. But it is also an important celebration of the businesses and organisations that have helped our town become an accredited Plastic Free Community.”

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Plans to revamp Chesterfield Market move forward

Chesterfield Borough Council’s plans to revamp the town’s historic market have taken a further step forward, with expected works to be completed in around a year’s time.

Last December, the council asked residents, market traders and local businesses to share their views and help shape the future of Chesterfield Market.

The aim of the surveys was to understand what people enjoy about Chesterfield Market, what might encourage them to visit more often, and understand how they think it can be improved.

This was the first step in the £3.25m Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project which includes plans to revamp the town’s historic outdoor Market Place, as well as improve the public space around Elder Way.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Chesterfield Market is the heart and soul of the town. It’s crucial that we work together with residents, market traders and local businesses to make sure improvements meet their needs. It was fantastic to receive hundreds of responses to our surveys, which shows the market means so much to everyone in Chesterfield.”

The surveys showed support for changing the layout of the market. 72% of the public, 89% of local businesses and 46% of market traders, supported changing the layout of the market

There was strong support for events, particularly specialist and event markets. These could include food festivals, farmers markets or vintage markets.

The public survey results show strong support for market traders and a desire to support local businesses.

Councillor Sarvent added: “Work is now underway to develop options for the market design and these will be available for comment as part of a consultation with the public, market traders and local businesses this summer. It is especially encouraging to see the public support for traders and local businesses as we move towards re-opening the town centre from lockdown next month.”

Details of how to take part in the next stage of the market consultation will be available from the council’s website this summer. Following this, it is expected works will be complete in Spring 2022.

As well as looking at the future of the market, the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project will also include improvements to the public space between the town centre and the Northern Gateway site.

The Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project has benefitted from £650,000 of funding through the D2N2 Local Growth Fund.

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Have your say on the future of Chesterfield Market

Chesterfield residents, business owners and market traders are being invited to share their views and help shape the future of Chesterfield Market.

Chesterfield Borough Council is launching an initial series of surveys to understand what people enjoy about Chesterfield Market, what might encourage them to visit more often, and understand how they think it can be improved. The surveys will be open until Monday 4 January.

It is the first step in the £3.25m Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project to revamp the town’s historic outdoor Market Place.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Chesterfield Market is the heart and soul of the town. It is absolutely vital to our history, with markets being held here since 1204.

“It’s crucial that we work together with residents, market traders and local businesses to make sure improvements meet their needs, and so we’re encouraging as many people as possible to give us their views.”

Three separate surveys are being carried out at the same time – one will seek the views, ideas and concerns of market traders, whilst another is aimed at local retailers. The third questionnaire will be open to the general public to share their opinions.

Councillor Sarvent added: “This is just the start of what is a very important conversation for our town. The things people tell us now will be used to shape detailed proposals for the improvement work, which will be the focus of a more formal consultation next year.”

Members of the public are being asked to tell the council what attracts them to the market, and their shopping habits when they visit. Businesses and market traders are being asked about customer shopping habits and the facilities that will support their businesses.

The trader and retailer survey focuses on the business impact of the market and customer trends, but also seeks opinions on how certain changes may affect their business.

The surveys only take a few minutes to complete and people can have their say until Monday 4 January by visiting the Chesterfield Outdoor Market Questionnaire page. 

The council is working with retail market development company, Quarterbridge, which is overseeing the survey process and will put forward recommendations for improvement based on the results.

As well as looking at the future of the market, the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project will also include improvements to the public space between the town centre and the Northern Gateway site.

The Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project has benefitted from £650,000 of funding through the D2N2 Local Growth Fund.

The survey closes on Monday 4 January and can be completed by visiting the Chesterfield Outdoor Market Questionnaire page.

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