Clay Cross Town Deal

New town square in Clay Cross to be named Baileys Square

The Clay Cross Town Board has officially revealed the name of the new town square, which is to be built as part of the town’s redevelopment.

Baileys Square is set to provide residents, businesses and visitors with a vibrant day and night-time economy.

The new name is based on an old map of Clay Cross, featuring ‘Bailey’s Square’ in the same location as the new development, brought by the Town Centre Regeneration project.

The square will feature an open space, well-suited for future activities and markets.

Baileys Square will be a place to meet with family and friends, hosting a unique selection of places to wine and dine, a place for families to take part in experiences and crafts; and enjoy vibrant events.

The Clay Cross Town Deal project will enhance Clay Cross’ evening economy with a wider food and leisure offer thanks to the flexible business units coming as part of Baileys Square.

Chair of the Clay Cross Town Board and Managing Director of Inspire Design and Development, Lee Barnes, says: “I am extremely eager to unveil Baileys Square to the public. It will be a place to host some amazing events, make some fantastic memories for those attending and will become a household name to residents and visitors of Clay Cross, as a substantial leisure space at the heart of Clay Cross.”

Find out more about the Clay Cross Town Deal. 

Clay Cross is one of several towns across the region to receive Town Deal funding from the government to carry out regeneration projects. Locally, Staveley has also received £25m in Town Deal funding, to be used on several projects. Find out more about the Staveley Town Deal here. 

Find out more about the range of development projects currently taking place across Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/

Inspire Design and Development Ltd. supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Clay Cross

Birds’ eye view of Clay Cross Town Centre

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Inspire Design’s Lee Barnes takes the reigns for Clay Cross Town Board

The Clay Cross Town Board has announced the appointment of Lee Barnes to the position of Chair.

The Managing Director of Clay Cross-based Inspire Design Group, Lee is an existing Board Member and is one of several private sector representatives on the Board.

Lee will head all future Clay Cross Town Board meetings, which oversee the delivery and progress of the Clay Cross Town Deal.

Clay Cross residents can take comfort in knowing the future of their town is in capable hands. As a North East Derbyshire resident and Clay Cross business owner, Lee has a breadth of professional experience in revitalising urban areas and guiding multi-disciplinary teams, with a strong commitment to seeing the town thrive.

As Chair, Lee plans to take Clay Cross’ local business scene to new heights for its residents stating, “I’ve got a really interesting journey ahead of me as Chair. I aim to make the most of this wonderful opportunity to help breathe new life into Clay Cross.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to move the town forward together, bringing new job opportunities, and more places to eat and drink and spend leisure time. As a resident myself, I am passionate about getting the best offer for us and am excited to lead us into the next phase of the Town Deal.”

So far, projects announced as part of the Clay Cross Town Deal include the regeneration of the town’s high street, along with a refurbishment of the Sharley Park Leisure Centre, which will be renamed Clay Cross Active.

Lee is also a member of Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Group, which aims to shape and drive forward collaboration, investment, sustainability and skills within Chesterfield.

Another town in our area which has benefitted from town deal funding is Staveley. Find out more about the range of projects taking place in the town here.

For more information on why Chesterfield is an excellent location to invest in your business, head over to our Invest In Chesterfield page.

Inspire Design and Development 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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Planning application submitted for major improvements to Clay Cross town centre

A planning application for major regeneration in Clay Cross town centre has now been submitted.

North East Derbyshire District Council and the Clay Cross Town Board have made progress over recent months, culminating in the planning application for the Town Centre Regeneration project.

The planning application has been submitted as part of the next steps in delivering the £24.1m Clay Cross Town Deal and is a momentous occasion as the reality of the project draws nearer for residents and businesses.

A public consultation was undertaken to gauge opinions of the proposed plans following on from ongoing face-to-face engagement with local businesses over the last few months. Feedback from this has been positive and has been taken into consideration as part of the ongoing project to help shape the future of Clay Cross.

The planning application is made up of four key elements in the proposals, which are:

  • The creation of a new Town Square which will become a public space to be used for markets, seasonal events and as a public forum.
  • Food and Beverage and Leisure Units – the route from Broadleys to the public square to be lined with artisan food companies, leisure operators and cafes and restaurants.
  • The Clocktower (Derbyshire Adult Education Centre) – to make the best use of the existing building, enhancing existing uses and bringing the library into the heart of the town.
  • The “Block A” (working title) proposal – Repurposing an existing historic building with the aim of providing a quality food and drink offering and leisure opportunities, directly overlooking the public square.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Clay Cross Town Deal, Cllr Jayne Barry said, “This is a momentous point in the delivery of the £24.1m Clay Cross Town Deal and a pivotal moment (in submitting the planning application) as our residents and businesses, who have shared their views and helped shape the proposals for the regeneration of the town, can now see we are moving onto the next stages of the project as it becomes closer to reality.

“It’s an exciting time for the town with some amazing plans and developments underway already, including the building of the new Clay Cross Active leisure centre, and I am delighted at the progress made to deliver this exciting project by collaborating with our residents and businesses.”

Find out more about the wide range of investment opportunities across Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Clay Cross

Birds’ eye view of Clay Cross Town Centre

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Major investment projects in Clay Cross Town Centre approved by Government

Proposals for four key town centre projects in Clay Cross have been approved, supported by the £24 million Town Fund investment.

The Clay Cross Town Board and North East Derbyshire District Council’s proposals have been given the green light by the government this week.

Final details are still to be agreed, but the projects are now progressing and the Council and Town Board are keen to hear the views of businesses and residents of Clay Cross on these transformations.

The four proposed projects of the newly-produced masterplan for the town centre consist of:

  • Transport and connections improvements (subject to an upcoming consultation) – proposals include providing enhanced parking and access from the A61, improving traffic flow through the town, re-opening Bridge Street from Harris Way and the possibility of converting the one way section of Market Street from Bridge Street to High Street into a pedestrian zone.
  • Skills and Enterprise zone – renovating the clock tower building (Adult Education Centre) into a hub for learning and business engagement, which also includes a proposal to bring the library into the town centre.
  • Clay Cross Community/Social area – preserving, restoring and enhancing heritage buildings in the centre of the town, focused on restoring the annex building of the clock tower building and creating a new leisure space fronting onto the proposed new town square area.
  • Broadleys site – forming a new town square as the heart between other elements of the Town Deal, providing flexible accommodation for start-up businesses in pop-up enterprise units and providing a space for community activities.

Proposed masterplan for clay cross project

Clay Cross Town Board Deputy Chair and North East Derbyshire District Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Charlotte Cupit said: “The £24 million Town Deal is a great opportunity to bring a boost to Clay Cross town centre.

“Through our business forums we’ve been speaking to local shops and businesses to focus on the key spaces and transport improvements needed.

“The aim of these proposed projects is to promote a more effective, cohesive town centre regeneration whilst also preserving some of the fantastic historic buildings we have in the town to create a really good mix of old and new features for our residents and businesses to enjoy.

“We’re really keen to hear the views of residents and businesses on these plans and we’ll be holding various consultations and events over the coming months – please do get in involved and let us know your thoughts.”

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Economy, Transformation and Climate Change, Cllr Jeremy Kenyon said: “It’s fantastic to get the green light from Government and really get things moving with a more focused plan for Clay Cross.

“We have got some great projects here which will really transform the town, bring investment, jobs and opportunities to the area.”

Behind the scenes, progress has been made in procuring buildings and land, and a more specific design plan is being developed which will reflect the approved refocus.

In addition to the above, the Town Board and North East Derbyshire District Council continue to progress the redevelopment of Sharley Park (with works now starting on site!), reviewing the feasibility of a new Clay Cross train station and developing further projects around decarbonisation of the town.

Clay Cross

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New leisure centre to be built in Clay Cross

A new leisure centre is set to be built in Clay Cross, which will be developed on the site of the current Sharley Park Leisure Centre.

North East Derbyshire District Council has been granted planning permission for the new leisure centre – Clay Cross Active, with works set to commence in early 2023.

The new centre will be a low carbon, low energy building and a hub for the community. Along with the 100 plus gym space, soft play, swimming, café and TAG Active facilities, there will be the addition of North East Derbyshire Citizens Advice and other services, all nestled within the new building.

Whilst works are underway, the gym and swimming pools will remain open. However, so that works can be started, the fitness studio, sports hall, spinning studio and squash courts are closed.

Some classes will still be running at alternative venues, please visit their website for more details.

Built by the Council’s development partner, Alliance Leisure, the new facility is expected to open in winter 2024 and is funded through the Clay Cross Town Fund and North East Derbyshire District Council and partners.

North East Derbyshire District Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Alan Powell said, “We are delighted to get planning permission for the new leisure facility at Clay Cross and are excited to start work on site.

“The current facility is old and dated and our residents have said they wanted a new facility which will bring the community together, and we are delighted to say this will be happening imminently.

“With climate change at the heart of all our decisions, the centre will be low carbon, have solar PV and air source heat pumps and will be an asset to the community, bringing tog/ether other services to make a real hub for Clay Cross.

Clay Cross Town Board Deputy Chair and North East Derbyshire District Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Charlotte Cupit said, “We are delighted to get the go-ahead for this amazing facility for all the community to enjoy. We listened when you said you wanted a new facility and this will be just that and more with other partners involved and it will be a real hub for the community for years to come.

Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure said, “Alliance Leisure’s role in the project is to deliver a leisure and wellbeing facility that the local community can be proud of. Having delivered over 200 leisure developments across the UK we are bringing this expertise to our delivery of Clay Cross Active. Our team will be assisting at every stage of the project and look forward to seeing the new centre open in 2024.”

Whilst the site will be staying partially open, current leisure centre members can also use the other three centres in the district as part of their membership deal.

clay cross active

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Inspire Design & Development’s Lee Barnes appointed to Clay Cross Town Deal board

A board overseeing multi-million pound developments in Clay Cross has appointed Lee Barnes, Managing Director of Inspire Design & Development Ltd. to its board.

Last year, the Government announced that Clay Cross would receive £24.1m of funding to deliver a number of projects contained in the Clay Cross Town Investment Plan. In Clay Cross this means;

  • increasing the skills and productivity of the local workforce
  • improving access to a range of high quality jobs and training opportunities
  • improving the environmental quality of the town and town centre

The Clay Cross Town Investment Plan is focussed around three main areas:

  1. Urban Regeneration – ensuring Clay Cross and town centre is a thriving place for people to live and work;
  2. Skills and Infrastructure – supporting investment and the development of small business, creating opportunities for skills and training;
  3. Connectivity – improving local transport links and improved digital connectivity.

Following a period of extensive consultation with residents and businesses of Clay Cross, ten exciting projects were drawn up to use these vital funds.

The Clay Cross Town Board will serve as an advisory function and will be the vehicle through which the vision and strategy for the Town will be defined. The board will produce a Town Investment Plan, which will inform the Town Deal proposals and include the amount of investment to be secured through the Towns Fund. The role of the Town Board is to:

  • Develop and agree an evidence-based Town Investment Plan
  • Develop a clear programme of interventions
  • Co-ordinate resources and influence stakeholders

The board is made up of local councillors, businesspeople and a range of leaders from local public and private sector organisations.

Speaking on his involvement in the Clay Cross Town Deal, Lee commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Clay Cross Town Deal Board, as a local business owner I consider it a privilege to be able to use my knowledge and experience in regeneration to help shape an exciting new direction for the town.

“It’s my ambition that the benefits derived from the Town Deal funding create a sustainable enduring legacy for the benefit of future generations.”

Staveley is also one of the towns to benefit from Town Deal funding, which means a number of regeneration projects are taking place to benefit local people and increase living standards and job opportunities in the area. Find out more about the Staveley Town Deal here. 

Inspire Design & Development Ltd. supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Lee Barnes Inspire Design and Development

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