Progress is being made!

1st May 2019

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield shares his latest views on the regeneration of Chesterfield.

At the start of 2019, there were various statements made to the effect that this year would be the year that we see progress being made on key developments in Chesterfield. It is now becoming clear that those statements were indeed correct.

The redevelopment of the former Co-op on Elder Way by Jomast Developments has come on in leaps and bounds with the opening of the new Premier Inn hotel officially opened in April. Further progress will be seen at Northern Gateway in the coming weeks with the opening of the new Saltergate multi-storey car park.

The hotel opening was an encouraging step in the town’s plan to increase overnight stays in Chesterfield by five per cent. More hotel beds will follow at Chesterfield Waterside and Peak Resort.

To ensure we keep our overnight visitors in the town and that they, in turn, spend their money in the local economy, we must have an attractive offering. This is a proposition we continue to build, and it has independent operators at its core.

Jomast is actively targeting independent food, drink and leisure operators to fill the ground floor and basement of the Co-op, mirroring the plans to attract more independently-owned shops to Vicar Lane Shopping Centre by its new owners ALTERIS.

ICYMI: Independent Operator opens in Vicar Lane

The change in consumer shopping patterns, from ‘bricks and mortar’ to ‘bricks and clicks’ means that when people visit town centres, they no longer want identical, faceless town centres. Town centres today need a variety and mix of shops, restaurants and bars – both chain and independent, as well as events which can engage the whole family.

Recognising the importance of events as a way to draw visitors to the town, I am delighted that this year’s Chesterfield Retail Awards include the brand new category – Best Town Centre Event.

We’ll be announcing the winner of this category and more at next month’s Retail Awards. You may have missed out on voting for your favourite shops, stores and events in the retail awards, but please don’t miss out on showing your support for the Food and Drink Awards. If you have a favourite place to eat, drink then make sure you nominate them. Nominate here….

It’s important that we recognise the contribution the town’s growing food and drink sector is making to the local economy. It’s playing an important role in ensuring our town centre not only survives, but also thrives.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Spring has sprung on Chesterfield’s regeneration projects

9th April 2019

Chair of Destination Chesterfield, Peter Swallow shares his views in his latest Blog.

Spring has sprung, clocks have moved forward to British summer time, and the change in seasons very much reflects the progress Chesterfield is making with a number of key projects.

In keeping with the season, we are seeing the buds emerging on Chesterfield Waterside and Northern Gateway; and I am sure there will also be some later growth as the year progresses.

Making good progress is the Premier Inn hotel, located in the former Co-op building on Elder Way. This is opening this week following an extensive programme of refurbishment and will deliver 92 new hotel beds to Chesterfield’s growing visitor economy.

Just last year James Berresford, Chair of the Derbyshire Culture, Heritage, Arts and Tourism Board told us at the Chesterfield Investment Summit, that transforming just 5% of our day visitors into overnight stays would transform the town’s visitor economy. The opening of the new hotel at Elder Way and the additional hotels that will be created at Chesterfield Waterside and Peak Resort push us ever closer to becoming a destination for overnight guests.

Planning permission has also been granted for the three-storey Enterprise Centre on the Donut roundabout at Northern Gateway. The building will consist of 32 offices – a much-needed resource for the many start-up and small companies in Chesterfield. Just over the road, the new Saltergate car park is also due to open soon too, increasing and improving the parking offering for the town centre.

The town will also soon boast a newly constructed large office offering too. A Reserved Matters planning application has been submitted for a six-storey office building in Basin Square at Chesterfield Waterside, adjacent to the railway station. While the Enterprise Centre will be ideal for start-ups and small businesses, the ‘Grade A’ specification office accommodation at Waterside will have a large floorplate, helping the town attract established companies to relocate and invest here.

The development progress doesn’t stop in the town centre, either. A planning application has been submitted to build 700 new homes at the former Staveley Works steel site, as well as a primary school, shops and community facilities, new wildlife habitats and a cycle and footpath network.

For years we have talked about these developments and now they are finally happening. Large scale commercial developments and regeneration projects take a long time to come to fruition, and the construction element is often a shorter stage and the culmination of years of planning.

Often you have to take a step back to move forward. When you both live and work here, you can miss the huge progress we are making as a town in redeveloping and regenerating it for the future. The next time you are in Chesterfield town centre or travelling in the borough, make time to look at what has been achieved. I think you’ll be impressed.

Chesterfield is certainly a town of progress.

Posted in Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Lets Celebrate Chesterfield

5th March 2019

March is most certainly a month of celebration for Chesterfield. Local and national events and acknowledgements come together to create an opportunity to showcase how we excel as a town.

The annual Celebrate Chesterfield event returns to the Winding Wheel on 20 March, with around 300 delegates set to attend and join us in not only celebrating the recent successes of our town but also looking to the future and ensuring that we have the best plans in place to continue the investment and success for future generations.

More than £1 billion of investment is currently taking place in Chesterfield. With huge investment underway in the town and massive infrastructure and development on its way (such as HS2’s arrival due in 2033), it’s imperative that we have a skilled workforce to support this. That is why apprenticeships are key to Chesterfield’s economy.

As a town we really excel with Apprenticeships – continually creating them, supporting and raising awareness of them and as usual we’re one step ahead of other towns. For example, we were the first town to establish our Apprentice Town initiative two years ago in order to keep apprenticeships in the spotlight with young people, schools and employers.

You can expect to hear a lot about apprenticeships in March however as nationally they will be celebrated from 4 – 8 March as part of the National Apprenticeship Week.

It’s important that apprenticeships are not just given cursory consideration once a year. If you’re a parent of a child, talk to them about the value of apprenticeships at the same time as you may talk about university, A Levels and college.

Last month we were able to strengthen links between education providers, local businesses and school leavers at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference. One thing that came through loud and clear at the conference is that employers are looking for school leavers, and there are job and career opportunities ready and waiting for them now.

Let’s create a bright future for our young people right here in Chesterfield so that the town can continue to thrive as a destination, a place to do business, build a career and, importantly, call home.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield

2019 looks set to be a year full of important milestones for Chesterfield

4th February 2019

2019 looks set to be a year full of important milestones for Chesterfield. The new Premier Inn hotel was completed in January and handed over ahead of its Spring opening and February sees Twist celebrate its tenth anniversary. Huge congratulations to Mike and all the team for reaching this important milestone.

Twist, like Destination Chesterfield, celebrates all that is good about the great town we live and work in. Each month the magazine is packed with positive news, embodying, I think, Chesterfield on paper. There is always something happening, and the pace never seems to slow down – which in turn always provides us with an array of content for the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event.

To be held on 20 March later this year at the Winding Wheel, this event attracts around 300 people, all keen to hear the latest updates on regeneration projects, housing, tourism, education and jobs in the town. It is an event I very much look forward to each year. It’s an opportunity to not only look back and reflect on how far Chesterfield has come in recent years but also see what is on the horizon. There is always a buzz in the room and you can’t help but feel uplifted and excited about the town’s future. – Book Here

However, if we’re to keep up the pace of developments, it is imperative that the town has a skilled workforce to support it. With more than 14,000 students in North Derbyshire set to gain their GCSE and A Level qualifications over the next five years, it’s also important that the workforce is home grown. This is why, later this month, the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference is being held. – Book Here

The annual conference aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure our school leavers are work ready; we also want young people to be aware of the range of jobs and careers they can have on their doorstep so the town can make the most of its home grown talent.

Chesterfield is a town of opportunity – let’s make sure our young people, their friends, families, teachers and schools know it too.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield