Chesterfield

Kickstart scheme creates almost 900 new jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds

Businesses have been urged by East Midlands Chamber to use gateway providers to create work placements in the Kickstart scheme – after it helped to create hundreds of roles for young people in the region.

The chamber of commerce for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire has so far helped to facilitate 887 new roles across the three counties. All these have been approved by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which will provide a £1,500 grant to employers for each six-month placement created for a 16 to 24-year-old.

Further applications have been submitted for another 900 roles as part of the organisation’s role as a gateway provider, which has so far been required for businesses with fewer than 30 vacancies.

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) deputy chief executive and Kickstart lead Diane Beresford said: “Using a gateway provider removes the headache of trying to understand the Kickstart application process and ensures businesses receive the full support they need when submitting an application, as well as filling the vacancy with help in tasks such as writing job adverts.

“The Chamber has pledged to work with employers and the young people they hire during the placement to identify any suitable progression opportunities, while we are also able to manage and deliver the mandatory employability support programmes on their behalf with additional sector-based workshops.

“All this free support means companies can concentrate on what they do best, which is running their business, while giving opportunities for the young people that extends far beyond the initial six-month period.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced yesterday (Monday 25 January) that businesses can now also apply direct to DWP for a placement.

Diane said the Chamber remained open to offering gateway services to businesses that want to create a placement as part of the £2bn scheme.

She added: “The Government’s drive to support the creation of new jobs at this challenging time for business is laudable.

“Hundreds of businesses in the East Midlands have already stepped forward to create new opportunities as part of the Kickstart scheme, and we’re proud of the role we’re playing in supporting businesses to secure approval for these placements as an official gateway provider for the scheme.

“It is essential that the Department for Work and Pensions works through current applications in order to support more coming through, and that it continues to encourage small business to work with gateways as an essential support mechanism for businesses to provide a helping hand navigating what can be complex bureaucracy.”

To find out more about how East Midlands Chamber can support businesses with the Kickstart scheme, contact education and business partnership manager Pieter Eksteen on 07468 474307 or email pieter.eksteen@emc-dnl.co.uk.

 

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Eye in the sky heralds Chesterfield College and Chesterfield Waterside learning partnership

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a new speed camera?

A new camera has appeared on the roof of Chesterfield College, leaving motorists on the A61 scratching their heads.

The camera is part of a learning partnership between Chesterfield Waterside, Chesterfield College and Britcon (UK) Ltd, the company appointed to build the new seven-storey, Grade A office block named One Waterside Place.

The building is the first phase of the ‘Basin Square’ character area within the £340 million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration scheme and has been forward funded by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The camera, which is focussed on the construction site, is recording the entire build process of One Waterside Place. The footage of the build process will be shared with students at the college, helping them keep up-to-date with construction methods as part of their studies, and will also be part of their virtual learning during the pandemic.

In addition to sharing the footage, once social distance restrictions allow, Britcon (UK) Ltd will be offering site tours and work experience to both local schools and Chesterfield College’s construction students.

The Chesterfield Waterside site is conveniently located within walking distance of Chesterfield College’s purpose-built construction facility, East Block One, which means when students return to college they will be able to visit the site.

Tom Swallow, Development Manager at Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company leading the Chesterfield Waterside project, commented: “I’d like to thank Chesterfield College for allowing us to use its premises for the camera installation. I’m particularly delighted that we’re able to work with the college and get students involved in the construction of the new office block, albeit remotely for now.

“Working alongside Chesterfield Borough Council, we’re looking forward to sharing footage of One Waterside Place coming out of the ground over the coming months and hope to have students on site to once restrictions allow in order to support their learning and development.”

Gavin Varley, Director of Engineering and Construction at Chesterfield College said: “This partnership provides a fantastic opportunity for our students to witness the process of developing a high profile site on their doorstep. Learning on site is invaluable and we are hopeful that we can do that soon. However, the footage from the camera will definitely enhance students’ virtual learning experience over the coming weeks. It will provide a unique, real life example to further their understanding of the development process and construction techniques.”

Construction of One Waterside Place began in October last year and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Britcon, a leading Civil Engineering, Building and Steel Frame Solutions company, has been appointed as the main contractor to construct the office building.

As part of the contract with Chesterfield Borough Council, Britcon will utilise local labour and local contractors across the whole build process as well as working closely with the college.

To ensure you keep up-to-date with the latest developments at Chesterfield Waterside, visit ChesterfieldWaterside.co.uk or follow the development on Facebook and Twitter.

Chesterfield College and Chesterfield Waterside support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Record 2020 results for Mortgage 1st despite pandemic

Back in March last year when the pandemic began no one had any idea how the year would pan out and like most businesses Mortgage 1st’s objective was to survive. They have done more than that since and are absolutely thriving!

Their business model was already built around offering remote advice so when COVID hit they didn’t have to change anything about how they operated. This meant there were no interruptions for their customers who continued to receive the same quality service and support.
Other than adjusting to working from home (whilst juggling home-schooling!) for their Chesterfield based head office team, it was pretty much business as usual for Mortgage 1st.

The team confidently navigated and adjusted to all the changes in the mortgage application process and sympathetically dealt with the delays caused by the initial lockdown and tighter lender restrictions ensuring their customers remained top priority throughout.

When the Estate Agents re-opened and valuations and surveys were allowed to take place again in the spring, it was like someone had flicked a switch and the new enquiries came flooding in. So much so that Mortgage 1st were then able to confidently continue with their ambitious growth plans and recruited 7 new Mortgage Advisers and a Mortgage Processor during the summer adding to the 2 new Advisers that had already joined the team earlier in the year.

With a strong team in place and the abundance of new customer enquires meant a record year of results across the board for Mortgage 1st. Their Advisers applied for 1,672 new mortgage applications equating to £301m worth of lending and they arranged 827 insurance policies to ensure their customers were fully protected financially.

Lisa Stones, HR & Marketing Director, Mortgage 1st said: “We are unbelievably proud of our team and the resilience they have shown during 2020. It’s been the craziest and toughest year in our history and to achieve record results is testament to everyone’s hard work and sheer determination. We have grown even stronger as a team over the last year and are all feeling very positive about what 2021 will bring for our industry, the business and us all personally.

January is always the busiest month for new mortgage enquiries and already 2021 is shaping up to be another fantastic year for Mortgage 1st. Their recruitment plans continue at pace and by the end of March an Apprentice, Mortgage Administrator, Mortgage Processor and 4 new Advisers will have also joined the team.

Mortgage 1st supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Award for Redbrik’s Chesterfield Lettings Team

Redbrik’s Chesterfield Lettings team have won the British Property Awards Letting Agent of the Year for Chesterfield.

Lettings Manager, Abigail Wilks, commented: “The award is very well deserved and is a credit to our fantastic team at Chesterfield Lettings.

“The team consistently show outstanding customer service in everything they do. I was thrilled this was highlighted throughout the extensive British Property Awards judging period, which included mystery shops assessing customer service, knowledge and helpfulness.”

The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with the opportunity to compare the service that they provide against the service provided by their local, regional and national competition.

Agents who go that extra mile and provide outstanding customer service levels are rewarded with an accolade, which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace.

Robert McLean, from The British Property Awards, added: “If an agent has been attributed with one of our awards, it is simply down to the fantastic customer service levels that they have demonstrated across a prolonged period of time.”

REDBRIK is one of Chesterfield’s leading independent sales and lettings agents. Founded in January 2013 by directors and experienced agents, Mark Ross and Julie Bulheller, REDBRIK is built on an ethos of honesty, unrivalled customer service and innovative marketing.

Since opening their first branch, REDBRIK has enjoyed continual success, expanding into two Sheffield offices at Crystal Peaks and Millhouses, and a substantially larger office in Chesterfield to accommodate company growth.

Going from strength to strength, the company started out with two directors in one small office, and now employ more than 40 members of staff and provide services across Chesterfield, North Derbyshire and Sheffield.

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

Redbriklogo2020

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Winding Wheel one of seven new COVID-19 vaccination sites

Chesterfield’s iconic Winding Wheel theatre is becoming Derbyshire’s latest COVID-19 vaccination site today, continuing the rapid rollout of the vaccination programme across the county.

The site will begin vaccinations on Thursday morning, using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and it will be followed closely by a second Chesterfield vaccination site at Wheatbridge Surgery on Saturday.

The Chesterfield Borough Council-owned Winding Wheel becomes the tenth primary care vaccination site serving Derbyshire. It is the first of a new wave of openings, with six other sites also opening in the coming days.

The Winding Wheel is a Grade II listed building, built in 1923, and was previously the Picture House Cinema. It normally hosts a popular programme of arts and entertainments, but has been converted into a vaccination site through the hard work of teams from several organisations working together.

The Winding Wheel will initially only carry out vaccinations for healthcare workers, while patient vaccinations are carried out at the nearby Wheatbridge Surgery, ensuring Chesterfield is well provided. Some Chesterfield patients may also be offered appointments at Stubley Medical Practice in Dronfield, if that is more convenient for them.

This start of vaccinations at the Winding Wheel site marks the start of a new wave of openings, including the county’s most southerly vaccination site so far, in Swadlincote. The full list of this wave of openings is:

Winding Wheel Theatre, Chesterfield
Wheatbridge Surgery, Chesterfield
Littlewick Medical Centre
Springs Health Centre, Clowne
Buxton Medical Practice
Shirebrook Sports Sports Hall
Oaklands Village Commmunity Centre, Swadlincote

Vaccinations at the Winding Wheel are being carried out by Chesterfield & Dronfield Primary Care Network (PCN), representing 12 GP practices. Vaccinations are all by appointment only.

People should not contact their GP about a vaccination unless asked to do so, and should not attend any vaccination site without an appointment.

Derby & Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is managing the rollout of the vaccine across the county, and CCG medical director Dr Steve Lloyd said the opening of the Winding Wheel was another big step forward.

The Winding Wheel is such a treasured and historic part of Chesterfield and I’m delighted that it is playing an important in this major vaccination programme.

Carrying out vaccinations at the Winding Wheel means we can provide this vital vaccine to the people of Chesterfield and its surrounding areas in a location well known to most people.

Teams from the PCN, Chesterfield Council and Derbyshire Community Healthcare Services and the CCG have all worked incredibly hard to get this vaccination site up and running, and I’m really proud of their efforts.

The contrast with the modern surrounds of Derby Arena, which opened just last week, demonstrates how flexible, thorough and determined our teams are to identify and prepare the most appropriate venues to reach as many patients as possible.

I’m also particularly pleased that we are beginning vaccinations in Swadlincote, which is our most southerly site yet and provides a vaccination site for communities of South Derbyshire.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’re delighted that the Covid-19 vaccination programme is being rolled out in Chesterfield. The use of The Winding Wheel Theatre, which the council owns and operates, as a local vaccination site is a huge step forward in our fight against the virus.

“We’ve been working closely with NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group and other partners to support the roll out and ensure that The Winding Wheel Theatre is ready to receive health care workers for their vaccinations. At this time, Chesterfield residents will be invited to have their vaccination at another local venue, and I urge as many people as possible to come forward and get vaccinated.

“Although this is a huge step forward, we must all make sure we continue to follow the Government guidelines and protect our most vulnerable.”

Vaccinations will be rolled out to more sites over the coming days and weeks, as the vaccination programme continues to build momentum.

The first vaccinations in Derbyshire took place at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and Royal Derby Hospital on December 8th, followed by the county’s first vaccinations at a primary care site on December 18th at Stubley Medical Centre.

Festival of Remembrance

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Flats and apartments set to be created in landmark Chesterfield Town Centre building

A prominent building in Chesterfield Town Centre is set to be brought back to life, with the property set to be converted into a mix of studio, apartment and flats.

Chesterfield Borough Council approved a planning application from the Tamcourt Group (JLK Architectural design) to convert the upper levels of a former Greggs bakery shop into residential dwellings.

Situated on the junction of Packers Row and High Street in the town centre, the property will consist of one-bedroom studios, one and two-bedroom apartments and a third-floor extension on the existing flat roof section of the building to allow space for two one-bedroom apartments.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Creating attractive places to live in the heart of the town contributes to a thriving and sustainable town centre for the future, and supports the night-time economy.

“Developments like this are a positive step forward for the town centre, providing well-located homes, close to shops, leisure and entertainment venues – and increasing the options for local people when choosing what kind of home they would like to live in.”

In the planning documents, Phillip Riden, chairman of the Chesterfield and District Civic Society said: “We strongly support the proposal to restore the ground floor of the building to retail use, and the creation of studio and one-bedroom flats above.

“This will increase the supply of reasonably priced accommodation in the town centre and bring another building back into residential use, a policy which we consider highly desirable.

“In the mid-nineteenth century half the one hundred or so separate properties in the shambles were residential: town centres evolve as needs and tastes change and these may go round in a circle.”

You can find out more about developments taking place across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire on our website here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

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Whittam Cox Architects appointed on Brent Cross Town project

Argent Related has appointed Whittam Cox Architects on the first phase of their 180-acre regeneration Masterplan in London.

Brent Cross Town will be a new park town for London and is set to be net carbon zero by 2030. Surrounded by 50-acres of parks and playing fields, the area will feature 6,700 new homes, workspace for over 25,000 people pedestrian-friendly streets, local shops, restaurants, schools and student accommodation.

Whittam Cox Architects will lead the technical implementation as Executive Architects for two plots initially, working in collaboration with several other high-profile architecture practices and interior designers.

In this initial phase of construction, a mix of tenures for ownership and rent will be incorporated, along with complimentary commercial, amenity and leisure spaces.

Nick Riley, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects commented, “Our appointment on Brent Cross Town reflects our experience in high-quality urban residential projects. This appointment with Argent Related is a significant instruction for us. The vision is bold and ambitious, and Argent Related’s commitment to the environmental agenda is commendable”.

Tom Goodall, Head of Residential for Argent Related said, “We have developed a relationship with Whittam Cox Architects on the back of their track-record and experience. We believe their technical and commercial strength, as well their understanding of modern methods of construction, will help ensure we deliver exceptional quality buildings and homes”.

Brent Cross Town is the neighbourhood at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. It is a joint venture between Argent Related and Barnet Council to develop a large-scale mixed-use development including new homes, retail and office space, as well as improved schools and greenspaces in the area.

Early work started on site in early 2020 and construction is also underway on the new Brent Cross West station which will be completed by the end of 2022. Building on the strengths of this diverse part of the city, Brent Cross Town will draw inspiration from the best of London’s long-established neighbourhoods with all their complexity and character.

At its heart, will be a focus on sport, play, health and well-being. The new neighbourhood will provide 6,700 homes, state-of-the-art workspace for over 25,000 people, and pedestrian friendly streets and squares with local shops and restaurants that will complement the offer at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The community will be supported by first-class public transport infrastructure, a new and improved network of walking and cycle routes and a series of new parks and other amenities.

Whittam Cox Architects supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Local businesses called on to go plastic free in 2021

Destination Chesterfield is calling on businesses in the borough to go plastic free in 2021.

The town’s marketing organisation has signed up to become a Plastic Free Ally of Plastic Free Chesterfield, a campaign group working to reduce single-use plastics in the borough. The group is part of over 700 other similar Plastic Free groups coordinated by national charity, Surfers Against Sewage.

Destination Chesterfield now wants businesses to follow its lead and become part of the local effort dedicated to minimising the town’s contribution to the single-use plastic crisis.

Becoming a Plastic Free Ally means Destination Chesterfield will now be plastic free at the many events, ceremonies and conferences it organises each year as well as in its day-to-day activities.

Amongst the many changes Destination Chesterfield will make, single-use plastic cups and coffee cups will be swapped for glass and china glasses and mugs for drinks, metal cutlery will be used instead of single-use plastic cutlery and paper, and card or cotton bags will replace single use plastic bags at events.

The four-strong Destination Chesterfield team have also all personally pledged to use refillable bottles or cups instead of single use plastic water bottles.

Dom Stevens, manager of Destination Chesterfield said: “We’re excited to be working in partnership with Plastic Free Chesterfield. We hope members of the town’s business community will now join us in our mission to reduce the impact of plastic on our environment, both locally and globally.

“In 2021 we’re encouraging businesses across Chesterfield to see if they’re able to make changes to their plastic use. If we all work together then, collectively, we’ll make a big difference in reducing the environmental impact on the rivers and beautiful local landscape here in North Derbyshire.”

Greg Hewitt, Plastic Free Chesterfield Community Lead commented: “We’re delighted to have the support of Destination Chesterfield, with the amazing work they do to support local businesses here in Chesterfield. It comes at a fantastic time for our group, which last year resulted in 50 Chesterfield businesses signing up to become Plastic Free Champions, as well as Chesterfield Borough Council officially backing our campaign.”

A number of businesses have already become Plastic Free Champions, including The Pekoe Café at Northern Tea Merchants, R.P Davidson Cheese Factor, Shop Indie in Vicar Lane Shopping Centre and Chesterfield High Street Awards winner Steph’s Sustainable Stuff.

Greg added: “We now look forward to working with both Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council to reach out to and sign up even more businesses, particularly those with 100 or more staff, where a business representative must join our Steering Group if we are to officially become an accredited Plastic Free Community.”

Businesses that wish to join Destination Chesterfield and become a Plastic Free Champion or find out more about reducing plastic consumption in their organisation, should visit https://plasticfreechesterfield.org.uk/businesses

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Work to begin on Elder Way improvements

A multimillion-pound project to revitalise the heart of Chesterfield and improve the public space is set to begin.

The works, which will cost £3.25 million, will begin this week (w/c 4 January 2021) and will include a series of improvements to the footpaths and the public space around Elder Way – creating a more inviting pedestrian route from the Northern Gateway development to the retail centre of the town.

During the week commencing 4 January a works yard will be established in the lower Devonshire Road car park which will reduce disruption in the town centre. All works should be complete by Summer 2021.

It is a key part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Northern Gateway project which over the past 18 months has seen the opening of the new town centre Premier Inn and the new Saltergate multi-storey car park, as well as the start of building works on the new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre located on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The project aims to create a more attractive environment for users and businesses looking for opportunities to invest in the town centre.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “This ambitious project will breathe new life into the town centre and improve the quality of the area by making it a more attractive place to visit. These changes will also lead to increased space for businesses to have outdoor seating which should further guarantee this area’s role in the town’s visitor economy.

“This work will cause some inevitable disruption in the short term, but we’re working with the contractors to limit this as far as possible. We have attempted to contact those businesses affected and will continue to provide updates as the works progress on the council’s website.

“Improving the town centre in this way should help set a vision for the future of Chesterfield and further demonstrates how important our high street is to the future economic success of the borough.”

Danaher & Walsh Civil Engineering has been appointed by Chesterfield Borough Council to undertake the public space improvement works.

A spokesperson from Danaher & Walsh, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and look forward to working with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver this exciting programme of improvements to Chesterfield’s town centre.

“Our site team is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of the works whilst mitigating any potential disruption. We are confident that the delivered scheme will be a source of pride for the people and businesses of Chesterfield.”

Improvements in this phase of the project will focus around Elder Way and should be complete by Summer 2021. The works planned include:

• The reconstruction of existing footways and paved areas with a mix of high-quality paving
• Pavement widening
• Taxi rank improvements on Knifesmithgate
• A range of formal and informal pedestrian crossing improvements.
• The de-cluttering of the street scene by removing obstacles to pedestrian movement
• The introduction of trees into the street
• Introduction / improved design of loading bays
• New bus shelters and re-positioned bus stops on Elder Way
• New street furniture
• Carriageway resurfacing

Funding for the project has been provided by the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Due to the nature of these works and the location there is the possibility of some inconvenience for businesses and visitors. Regular updates will be provided directly to affected businesses, and further updates on progress and impacts on the area will be published on the Council’s website (https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/elder_way_public_realm_improvements).

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Christmas in Chesterfield a major success

Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council’s Christmas experience – The Amazing Magical Santa House – has been hailed a major success after bringing smiles to everyone who went along to meet Santa.

The Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House in the town centre, is where the magic technology known as the ‘Santa Zoomer’ – a video link to chat with Santa – was set up and 750 families enjoyed a spectacular start to their Christmas.

As well as the live chat with Santa, families took part in a special augmented reality experience in which Santa magically appeared creating a keepsake photo and video for the family.

Feedback on social media, includes ‘we came this morning and were blown away! Thank you so much. It was fantastic.’

And ‘Looks beautiful inside. Very happy kids and love that I have a photo and video of the experience with Santa’.

Chesterfield Borough Council has now released a video which gives a look inside the Santa House, showing the joy it brought to families:

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The Santa House is just what was needed this year. It has given hundreds of families such joy to start Christmas with. We’ve had comments about very happy kids and that is exactly what we set out to achieve.

“It has been a tough year for many of us and this amazing experience, the elf trail and some spectacular Christmas lights have given Chesterfield the magical Christmas it needed.

“We’ve worked with some fantastic local companies to make the Santa House become a reality and it has been great to see the creative, innovative and hardworking talent that exists right here in Chesterfield come together to make this a very special Christmas.

“Overall this Christmas campaign has supported a wide range of town centre businesses by increasing footfall into the town centre and raising awareness of the fantastic offer that exists in Chesterfield town centre for residents, shoppers and visitors.”

The council has worked with a number of local companies to bring the Christmas campaign life. These include JAB Short, providing the town centre shop for the Santa House; Chesterfield Champions Noonah Marketing, providing the augmented reality technology; and Tabs productions, providing the visual interpretation and dressing at the Santa House.

Matt Franks, CEO of Noonah.com, said “After a year with many events cancelled, the work on Chesterfield Santa House we delivered for Chesterfield Borough Council was a fantastic example of showcasing the talent of Noonah and many other local companies. On the back of this project we’ve started to grow again which is great news for our team. Our message to all business owners is hang on in there – the work will come back!”

Karen Henson, Director, Tabs Productions, said: “It was great to be involved with the Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House, helping Chesterfield Borough Council bring this amazing idea to life. It has been a hard year for us with the pandemic and usually we would be at our busiest working on Christmas shows, so not only has it been magical to work on the Santa House, but it has really helped us as a small local business move through this difficult year.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said “In these challenging times it has never been more important to support each other. I am delighted that Destination Chesterfield and Chesterfield Borough Council have continued this year to work collaboratively on the Christmas in Chesterfield Campaign. Combining our efforts will reinforce the Support Local message. Making the decision to choose an independent retailer for your gifts and food both now and beyond the pandemic will make a huge difference to our high street.”

Chesterfield Borough Council, in partnership with Destination Chesterfield, created the magical story of the Chesterfield Elves and how they saved Christmas, to deliver the Amazing Magical Chesterfield Santa House.

The story can be downloaded from https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Low-Res-Storybook.pdf and is the perfect bedtime story for families this Christmas.

Our website – www.chesterfield.co.uk/christmas has everything you need to know about Christmas in Chesterfield

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Chesterfield-based SDL Minorfern continues growth by adding new branch in Leeds

A Chesterfield company has continued its growth by opening a brand new branch in Leeds. SDL Minorfern has established itself as one of the UK’s leading distributors of replacement parts for cars and vans, having been a family-run business for more than 40 years.

Locally, the company already has its head office in Clay Cross along with branches in Chesterfield, Derby, Mansfield and Sheffield all part of a 12 branch network across the North Midlands and Yorkshire.

Now it has expanded again by moving into a Leeds facility in October 2020, making it the biggest standalone branch in the business. The company is also making full use of new technology to improve its output, with the Leeds branch being the first to fully integrate a barcode management system.

The move will also improve connectivity for SDL, with the branch having superb access to the M1 and M621 motorways and Leeds City Centre, enabling the business to expand its customer base further into the Yorkshire region.

SDL now stocks more than 60,000 products, including its own brands and completes around 885,000 deliveries per year. The company has more than 250 employees across 12 branches, with 19 people now working in the new Leeds store.

Darren Murray, SDL Minorfern Commercial Director said: “At SDL Minorfern we pride ourselves on excellent availability of quality parts, a fantastic logistics department for fast deliveries and superb sales teams with decades of quality experience. We then put this all together to provide a quality and reliable customer experience that is second to none, while still remaining highly competitive.

“Now the customers in Leeds and surrounding areas have the opportunity to experience our new site for themselves, and we very much look forward to welcoming them.”

SDL Minorfern Managing Director, Nick Holland said: “We are delighted to open our branch in Leeds. Leeds is a great strategic location to enable us to expand our customer base further into Yorkshire. The Leeds branch offers over 25,000 sq. ft of parts storage, and with state of the art technology we will offer industry leading levels of service to the automotive aftermarket in the Leeds area.”

SDL Minorfern supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Images by Ben Marriott

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