Staveley

Plans to revitalise Staveley’s high street to be considered by Chesterfield Borough Council

Draft plans to revitalise Staveley town centre as part of the wider regeneration of the area are being considered by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The Staveley Town Centre Draft Vision Master Plan is to go before the council’s Cabinet on 2 November and, if approved, will be subject to a six-week public consultation starting on 8 November.

The proposals set out a vision for the future development of Staveley’s town centre, including improvements to the look, feel and flow of Market Square and High Street, and are designed to harness the opportunities presented by wider investment in the town.

The draft plan has been brought forward as part of an ambitious regeneration package being delivered under the Staveley Town Deal programme, which has created a ‘golden opportunity’ to breathe new life into the former mining town for generations to come.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Staveley town centre is a place with rich heritage and character – and a lot of untapped potential to make it the best it can be for the benefit of Staveley’s growing community.

“Taken together with the significant investment and regeneration which is planned for across this area, we have a golden opportunity to transform Staveley for generations to come.

“Currently, like town centres up and down the country – particularly those which are relatively small – Staveley is being hit by the rise of online shopping and changing customer habits, as well as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is also much more that could be done to better connect some of the area’s key sites and buildings, to make the town centre a real retail, leisure and community hub.

“Our draft vision master plan sets out a framework in which some key improvements can be brought forward and, if approved by Cabinet, we will continue to work closely with the community.

“Staveley’s businesses are key to the future success of the town centre, and we are committed to working with them to adapt and shape these draft plans.”

The draft vision master plan has been put together following initial consultation with Staveley Town Council, local business representatives and key partners – with a view to gathering more detailed feedback as part of the six-week consultation period.

The purpose of the consultation is to get public and business feedback on the draft proposals, so they can then be adjusted and finalised.

Just over £4.85m has been earmarked for town centre improvements as part of the Staveley Town Deal programme – with funding subject to final approval by Government early next year.

Key proposals include:

  • Regenerating Market Square, including proposals for a new building called ‘The Market House’ which would create a commercial and community hub, with potential to host large indoor and outdoor and outdoor events
  • Revitalising High Street, including plans to upgrade and improve landscaping, street furniture and cycle parking
  • Unlocking the development potential of underused or derelict sites which could be used to support a more vibrant evening economy, family facilities and leisure opportunities
  • Installing town centre Wi-Fi, to create a more digitally connected town centre for the benefit of businesses and shoppers
  • Improving signage, and adding new walkways which will link the canal with Staveley Hall and local shops / services – helping people to explore further and stay longer

The updated draft master plan is designed to replace a previous version of the document which was drawn up in 2009 and now – due to changes in within the borough, as well as the national economic context – must be reviewed to ensure it provides a relevant and robust framework for the development of the town centre.

Councillor Sarvent added: “This is a hugely exciting time for Staveley. Together with our partners, our aim is to deliver significant investment and improvements across key aspects of the town in support of our vision to create a legacy for the future – a place where people can start, stay and grow.”

If approved, the draft vision master plan proposals will be subject to a consultation period running from 8 November to 12 December.

This will be via a virtual exhibition, supported by a staffed exhibition at The Healthy Living Centre in Staveley.

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Plans to restore further stretch of Chesterfield Canal approved

Plans to restore the Chesterfield Canal by 1.6 miles have been approved. This will extend the navigable section in Derbyshire by a third from Staveley almost to Renishaw. It will include a 37m long aqueduct almost 10m above the River Doe Lea.

There remains lots of preparation to be done, but there should be works on the ground by the end of this year or early in 2022.

The restored canal currently ends at Eckington Road Bridge in Staveley, where the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s volunteer Work Party has built a new lock and restored a further 300m of canal. The new section will go through a disused railway line and across the Doe Lea Valley on the Staveley Puddlebank. This is a huge embankment nearly 800m long and up to 10m high that was a wonder of the age when constructed in 1776. The canal then turns north and runs parallel to the Doe Lea to the borough boundary.

The towpath will be a 3m wide all-user trail alongside the canal, so walkers, cyclists and mobility scooter users will be able to join boaters, canoeists and paddleboarders in enjoying the new route.

The application was submitted by the Chesterfield Canal Trust through its Development Manager, George Rogers. Although endorsed by lots of members of the public and numerous organisations including the Ramblers, Chesterfield Cycle Campaign and Chesterfield Civic Society, HS2 Ltd. objected. The canal runs underneath HS2’s proposed line to a maintenance depot. However, negotiations with HS2 earlier in the year led to the objection being withdrawn, leaving the way clear for council approval.

Chair of the Chesterfield Canal Trust, Peter Hardy, said: “We are delighted that our planning application has been approved. This is a substantial step on the path to achieving our ambition of reopening the canal fully by 2027. We would like to put on record our thanks to our many supporters and partners who have backed us so far and who we know will stick by us in the exciting years ahead.”

The Trust is hoping to start its Rewatering Renishaw project in the coming months, which will bring a further 1,000m of canal back to life. This will mean that there could be a total of 7½ miles of canal from Chesterfield to Renishaw by the end of 2023.

Once this has been achieved, lots of opportunities for tourism will open up including the hire of dayboats, weekend boats, canoes, paddleboards and cycles. There will be a need for more pubs and cafés, and anglers will be delighted by new opportunities.

At the same time, Staveley Town Basin, now renamed Staveley Waterside, will be developed by Derbyshire County Council and there are plans for a whole new village on the old Staveley Works site, including a hotel and small marina.

Rod Auton, Publicity Officer for the Trust, said: “The next few years will see an incredible transformation along the canal which will bring a massive economic boost to the area. It is our hope that the Chesterfield Waterside development will also continue, including opening the canal basin. This would connect the town directly into the beautiful, green and tranquil oasis that is the Chesterfield Canal.”

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

 

Posted in Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, VisitingTagged in , , , , ,

£25.2m investment for Staveley announced

Town leaders have welcomed a multi-million pound funding boost which will pave the way for significant regeneration in a former mining community in North Derbyshire.

Staveley is set to benefit from £25.2m worth of funding following the Government’s Town Deal programme announcement today – presenting a ‘golden opportunity’ to transform the area for future generations.

It follows a successful bid for funding by the Staveley Town Deal Board, which submitted a Town Investment Plan to unlock the funding package for a range of projects that will drive long term economic growth, offer quality skills and employment opportunities and improve the green spaces and canal network around Staveley.

And it is a further boost for the borough’s wider growth agenda – adding to the significant and sustained investments that are already being made across the area to ensure Chesterfield’s communities are in the strongest possible position to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “We are delighted at the news from Government today that Staveley stands to be awarded £25.2m as part of the Towns Fund.

“Our plans are rooted in the needs and aspirations of Staveley’s communities, and have been driven by the Board’s collective ambitions to attract the investment that this area deserves.

“Bringing funding on this scale to Staveley will transform the area and realise huge benefits to local people, both in terms of how they lead their everyday lives and take advantage of future opportunities. As a local businessman and Chair of the Town Deal Board, I am thrilled that Government has recognised the potential of our place and sees the value in backing our Town Investment Plan.”

The funding will be spent over a five-year period, steered by the Staveley Town Deal Board, and with the overall programme managed by Chesterfield Borough Council.

It follows an earlier successful bid by the Board under the Government’s Accelerator Fund – securing £500,000 worth of funding for grassroots projects. They include a new state-of-the-art all-weather sports pitch at Springwell Community College, new play equipment for King George V Playing Field and new CCTV equipment for Staveley town centre.

Welcoming the news, Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, added: “Today’s announcement is tremendous news for our borough, and for the communities of Staveley who are set to benefit from this sizeable investment in a range of exciting projects and programmes.

“This is a golden opportunity which paves the way for this former mining community – which has often been overlooked by previous national funding programmes – to realise its full potential both now and in the future.

“I would like to thank all of the partners who have worked on the Town Deal over the last year. Staveley is a very special place with a rich history and wonderful assets. Through this funding, we will look to harness the town’s great potential through re-vitalising the high street, delivering new investment and much-needed jobs, supporting local people to reach their full potential and exciting the interest of new visitors to the place.”

Following the announcement of the funding offer, partners in Staveley will be working with Government to agree the terms for the next stage of the Town Deal programme and to determine how each project will be funded.

This will allow the promoters of each project to develop their full business cases, which will be needed before the funding can be released. The Staveley Town Deal Board will be supporting each project through that process so that delivery on the ground can start as soon as practicable.

Elsewhere in North Derbyshire, £24.1 million has been awarded to kickstart a number of regeneration projects in Clay Cross.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Carolyn Renwick said: “What an incredible and proud moment this is for Clay Cross and North East Derbyshire. To be awarded the full sum we asked for – over £24 million pounds will mean Clay Cross will be an exciting hub of redevelopment, opportunity and prosperity for years to come.”

You’ll be able to find out more about all of the projects included as part of the Staveley Town Deal and other regeneration sites across the area at the virtual Celebrate Chesterfield event, taking place on Wednesday, 31st March. To register your place at the virtual event, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

Find out more about all the regeneration projects taking place across Staveley here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/staveley/

 

Works road and canal basin

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Staveley’s £25m regeneration plans to be put under the spotlight at Celebrate Chesterfield 2021

Forging ahead with regeneration plans in lockdown, the latest developments for the Staveley area will be unveiled at the tenth annual Celebrate Chesterfield event on Wednesday 31 March.

The ambitious £25 million plans for the Staveley area were submitted to the Government as part of its Town Deal programme back in December.

Chair of Staveley Town Deal Board Ivan Fomin, who is also the Managing Director at MSE Hiller and a Destination Chesterfield board member, will be speaking at the virtual event at which he will call on the business community to help drive forward the area’s regeneration and take advantage of the opportunities it will create.

He commented: “Staveley is blessed with great assets including land for development, heritage buildings and transport links, but these all need investment and local leadership to drive forward the growth and prosperity of the area. At a time when Covid-19 has re-energised the discussion about the use of outdoor spaces, we also have a unique opportunity to link Chesterfield and Staveley to the national canal network for the first time in 113 years.”

Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of the Chesterfield Borough Council, will also be speaking at the event, which will be live streamed and boast a 3D virtual exhibition.

Mr Bowen will be updating on the progress the town is making with multi-million pound commercial and residential developments, including Chesterfield Waterside and the new seven-storey office block – One Waterside Place.

Ivan Fomin and Huw Bowen will also be joined by Andy Dabbs (Chair) and Jillian Mitchell (Vice Chair) of the newly formed Property and Construction Group, who will also be speaking at the event.

Now in its tenth year, Celebrate Chesterfield, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield, in association with Addooco IT, is one of the most hotly anticipated business events in the area and never more so that in the wake of the pandemic.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “Whilst it has been a challenging year for us all, we’re delighted with the progress Chesterfield has made during the Covid-19 pandemic – there are a lot of achievements to celebrate which we will be sharing at the event. We have not stood still a through 2020 and because of this we go into 2021 in excellent shape.

“The Northern Gateway and Chesterfield Waterside developments have made some significant steps and continue to move forward at pace. This, along with the regeneration plans for the Staveley area, it’s safe to say this is an exciting time for Chesterfield.”

Celebrate Chesterfield 2021 is being sponsored by technology specialist Addooco IT Ltd. University of Derby, Whittam Cox Architects and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, join headline sponsor Addooco IT as associate sponsors.

Richard Walters, Managing Director of Addooco IT Ltd, commented: “The concept of ‘Celebrating Chesterfield’ really resonates with me as there is such a rich history of innovation here. Recognising the great work Destination Chesterfield does for organisations in the area, I am delighted that Addooco is the headline sponsor for Celebrate Chesterfield.”

Dr Paula Holt MBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby said: “We are delighted to be working with Destination Chesterfield to support the Celebrate Chesterfield event again this year. As Derbyshire’s only university, we look to use our academic expertise, research and innovation to foster talent and create impactful partnerships with business.

“The Celebrate Chesterfield event provides a great opportunity for us to have valuable conversations that enable us to understand more about the challenges local businesses face. Our priority remains to effectively service the needs of businesses – creating opportunities for individuals, employers and communities to develop and deliver positive impact on the economic prosperity, health and well-being of the region.”

Andy Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, comments: “As a local practice we are delighted to be working with Destination Chesterfield to support this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield event. This year is particularly exciting for us, as it will see the launch of Chesterfield’s Property and Construction Forum. The formation of the forum has already had some success in bringing together a network of local property professionals whilst also providing a collaborative platform for engagement with the Local Authority. Although it has been a challenging year, Chesterfield has made some fantastic progress, and the Celebrate Chesterfield event will provide a great opportunity to share this.”

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD, development partner for the Markham Vale site commented: “Our ongoing commitment to the regeneration of Markham Vale has seen momentous change of this area over the years, increasing job opportunities for local workers and ensuring a continued boost to Chesterfield’s economy.

“Alongside Derbyshire County Council, we’re looking forward to continuing the success of 2020 and securing new occupiers at Markham Vale.”

Tickets for the free morning event, which is being held from 8:30am – 10:00am, are available to book now.

To book your place at the event, please visit http://www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , ,

Families set to benefit from new play and fitness facilities in Staveley

Staveley residents are set to benefit from the first improvements to the town as part of the Staveley Town Deal, which sets out ambitious plans to pull in more than £25m worth of funding to the area over the next five years.

Initial funding worth more than £140,000 will be used to invest in new play and fitness facilities at King George V Playing Fields. This will create a fantastic new space for families to create memories together and for residents to exercise in.

The money has been secured thanks to a Chesterfield Borough Council bid to the Government’s Town Deal Accelerator Fund – submitted on behalf of the Staveley Town Deal Board as part of wider plans to regenerate the town.

It follows further investment by the council in the park which saw creation of bowling facilities and a new skate park; together all these improvements will ensure that the park has facilities suitable for every age group.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Town Deal delivering funding for facilities that will directly benefit local residents. These improvements are the kind of grassroots project that I hoped we could deliver as part of the Town Deal. It may not be a high financial cost compared to the total value of the Town Deal, but it will make a massive difference to local families.”

The planned works include a new play area which will have a range of equipment for both juniors and toddlers. It will also aim to encourage imaginative play through its design and features, like play panels.

As well as the play area, a new fitness zone will be created. Within this there will be an outdoor gym area where residents can do more than 200 different types of exercise. It will also feature a multi-use area for basketball and football.

Councillor Jill Mannion Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “As we’ve all seen over the last year, providing excellent outdoor facilities is important for everyone. They provide a space for the community to socialise and are an important place for young people’s development. They are also becoming more popular as exercise venues.

“We are working closely with our funding partners to help deliver this fantastic new play and fitness space in King George V Playing Fields. I am sure that local residents will create lots of great memories in this space and keep active for many years to come.”

Paul Greenfield, Area Sales Manager for Kompan, said: “Kompan are the UK’s leading outdoor play, sport and fitness provider and we are delighted to have been selected as Chesterfield Borough Council’s partner for this exciting project. We look forward to bringing our fun and exciting play products, and state of the art fitness range to the community of Staveley.”

The work is set to begin in March and will be managed by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered by Kompan.

Find out more about regeneration in Staveley here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/staveley/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , , ,

Pupils get creative to design a new logo for ambitious town project

Pupils at Springwell Community College were challenged to create a new logo to capture the spirit of a major project which aims to regenerate their town.

Almost 70 young people submitted their designs to the Staveley Town Deal logo competition, which was launched in September for year seven pupils at the school.

Alex Atkinson was declared the overall winner for his design which incorporated some of Staveley’s most well-known landmarks.

The winning entry was picked by a judging panel which included the Chair of the Staveley Town Board, Ivan Fomin, and Staveley-based design company, Q2 Creative.

Ivan Fomin said: “The winning logo portrayed hope for Staveley with a bright sun, and blended the canal and waterways whilst retaining the history with the winding wheel.”

Alex then had the opportunity to work with Q2 Creative to turn his hand drawn design into a format that would be suitable for use on the official website and on banners and hoardings in and around Staveley.

Lynne Dawson from Q2 Creative said: “We were delighted to be able to help out with the selection and development of the Staveley Town Deal logo. The students’ work was of a really high standard, with some very thoughtful and well-conceived ideas – it was very hard to choose a winner! It was great to work with Alex in developing his idea and explaining the design process and elements that go to make a successful logo. We wish the Staveley Town Deal project every success.”

The Staveley Town Deal Board has been established to oversee the development and implementation of a long-term Town Investment Plan for the Staveley area.

It is made up of elected members and senior officers from Chesterfield Borough Council, Staveley Town Council and Derbyshire County Council, both local members of parliament, representatives from local charitable organisations, Derbyshire Police, education leaders and representatives of the local business community.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “The Staveley Town Deal will create real improvements that will benefit local people for many years to come. It’s vital that the Town Deal engages young people because it is about ensuring that Staveley is a thriving town with great opportunities where young people can build their future.

“Well done to Alex for his excellent design, and thanks to all the young people who took part.”

As well the opportunity to work with a professional design company and learn how the process works, Alex won a £50 Shopping voucher awarded by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The five runners up were also given prizes of two tickets for a weeks’ membership to the Healthy Living Centre in Staveley or Queen’s Park Sports Centre, to be used in line with government restrictions.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, VisitingTagged in , , , ,