Chesterfield is set to undergo a major transformation in the next few years, with work taking place to improve the town’s public spaces; creating a welcoming and attractive place for visitors.
The town’s Property and Construction Group continues to help in shaping these developments, working with partners to ensure the quality of the built environment across the town meets those ambitions.
Tony Buck is a member of the Chesterfield Property and Construction Steering Group and Associate Director at Oasis Studio. He has given his views on the importance of maximising the built environment, to increase Chesterfield’s reputation as a vibrant and welcoming town with a strong and diverse visitor economy.
By many Chesterfield isn’t considered a typical tourist destination and we must ask ourselves why? Over the last 12 years, I’ve become very familiar with the town and it’s clear our town has bags of raw ingredients to offer the tourism sector.
It’s no secret that millions of pounds worth of investment are beginning to take shape across the town and I’m confident these exciting plans will evolve Chesterfield into a superb visitor destination. From working closely with Destination Chesterfield and the Property and Construction Group it’s clear that attracting more tourists to the town is high on the agenda.
Let’s take a dive into some of the key developments and unpack why the built environment is vital in terms of attracting more visitors.
A good place to start is the ‘Heart of Chesterfield’ project; a major transformation in the town centre with refurbishment plans for several key sites. When I think about Chesterfield, I think ‘handsome market town’ so I’m particularly excited to see the marketplace revamp take shape.
This is a great opportunity to re-imagine the current model and create a more defined and vibrant area for visitors to shop. As part of the revamp, we’ll also see the flexible space host other events such as festivals, cultural celebrations, and community gatherings.
This has been core to the strategy and acts as a key ingredient in attracting a wider, more diverse audience beyond the typical market visitor of today. Once complete I look forward to visiting and hope to discover amazing produce, street food, craft beers and gifts that are unique to Chesterfield and add to the cultural narrative of the town.
Bookending of the ‘Heart of Chesterfield’ project are plans to remodel and refurbish the Stephenson Memorial Hall. I’m particularly intrigued about the impact this will have on the visiting economy. Packed full of history and architectural merit the proposals aim to extend the Pomegranate Theatre and provide a modern museum offering.
Alongside this gallery and café spaces provide visitors with a place to enjoy. Once complete this landmark building will extend the town’s cultural offering and provide a go-to destination for visitors to enjoy live events.
Beyond this, the Chesterfield Station Masterplan aims to create a welcoming first impression of Chesterfield for visitors by rail. Currently, the existing station and public realm are a little uninviting.
Diving into the details it’s clear that a real sense of arrival, framing of the crooked spire and progressive urban design are considerations to address this. The people of Chesterfield are welcoming and open for business, I certainly look forward to a station that reflects this for visitors.
It’s clear to me that the developments highlighted above, combined with the wider regeneration proposals, will result in our town centre becoming a more attractive, safe and healthier place for visitors to spend time and immerse themselves in the Chesterfield economy.
In my opinion, Chesterfield’s best tourist attraction and visitor playground is the Peak District. It’s located on our doorstep and attracts millions of tourists to the area each year.
Those visitors planning a weekend trip or holiday need more incentives to stay the night in Chesterfield. Currently, the night-time attractions are relatively limited… Shout-out to Ches-Vegas. To maximise the visitor economy, more must be done to increase this offering. There are development plans that seek to address this (some mentioned above), but it’s worth highlighting the requirement for more available hotel space for visitors to stay.
Circling back, Chesterfield has the raw ingredients to become a great place to visit. The community is inviting and we’re home to a diverse selection of businesses that cater for the tourism sector.
We’re located in the heart of the UK with great transport connections. We also have handsome buildings with bags of history and so much beautiful scenery on its doorstep. Chesterfield is underrated as a tourist destination and with the planned future investment it will only get better. I call for all local businesses and fellow Chesterfield Champions in the town to celebrate this!
