Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield
Chesterfield is undergoing a major transformation as part of the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project, with refurbishment plans being carried out by Chesterfield Borough Council at key town centre sites.
The historic Market Place has now been transformed, with the improvements completed in September 2025. The work includes better lighting and power, improved access and new stall layouts, general paving repairs, new trading areas and improvements to stall structures.
The project has also seen the transformation of New Square into an events space, providing a setting for large-scale events, temporary installations and activities linked to the town’s bars and restaurants. The improved space reopened in March 2026.
Key public spaces and the connections between them are also being improved as part of the plans, following the council’s successful bid for almost £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The multi-million-pound project is transforming Stephenson Memorial Hall into 1435, extending the theatre, creating a reconfigured and contemporary museum, and adding a new gallery, café bar and education and community spaces.
G F Tomlinson has delivered the refurbishment of 1435 with designs by Bauman Lyons. The venue is set to reopen later in 2026 as 1435, offering an inspiring visitor experience in a beautifully restored Grade II listed setting.
The remaining funding is being used to regenerate Chesterfield’s historic town centre, creating spaces for contemporary events and experiences and improving ease of movement through and around the historic core.
Improvements are centred around key public spaces and the connectivity between these locations, Stephenson Memorial Hall, the iconic Crooked Spire and key visitor arrival points.
- Corporation Street
- Spire Walk
- Rykneld Square
- Packers Row
- New Square
Corporation Street has now been transformed, creating an improved gateway into the town centre for visitors arriving by train. The improvements include new paving, lighting and street furniture, wider pavements and a new one-way layout, making the street more pedestrian-friendly.
The works also create a safer and more attractive space for Chesterfield’s night-time economy.
Corporation Street
Rykneld Square is also set to be enhanced as part of the project. Works began in 2025 but have been delayed following archaeological discoveries which have led to design changes. Work is expected to restart on site soon.
The project is making the spine and heart of the town centre a more useable, navigable, attractive, safer and healthier place to spend time. It is doing this by:
- Improving the quality of lighting in the town centre, contributing to the climate change agenda and increasing and enhancing the overall quality of the urban environment
- Improving wayfinding around the town centre and the usability of key public spaces for cultural and commercial events, providing a platform for improved cultural events to attract more visitors
The multi-million-pound Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project includes a range of improvement works to transform the look, feel and flow of the town’s key public spaces.
