About Chesterfield

Chesterfield businesses encouraged to check eligibility for grants

Chesterfield businesses are being urged to check if they are eligible for business grants which can help them cover costs during lockdown.

Detailed information on business grants is available on the Chesterfield Borough Council website. Some of the grant schemes, including the Additional Restrictions Support Grant have been available to apply for since early January, but there are still a number of eligible businesses that have not yet applied.

New information regarding the Taxi Driver Support Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant has been added to the website – eligible businesses and individuals are being urged to apply as soon as possible.

Councillor Jean Innes, cabinet member for business transformation and customers, said: “These grants are a vital lifeline for local businesses, and I would encourage every business owner to apply. This funding can be used to cover a variety of costs including rent on business premises and other bills.

“Our team are working hard to process these payments as quickly as possible but it’s vital that eligible businesses apply in order to access this funding.”

The process to apply for business grants through a secure online form and applicants will need to submit some evidence, including bank statements, when applying.

There are currently five different business grants available to apply for online:

– Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG-C) – for businesses that have been forced to close due to national lockdowns or local restrictions.

– Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG-O) – for businesses linked to the hospitality and leisure sectors that have remained open but were severely affected by tier 3 restrictions between 2 December and 30 December 2020.

– Additional Restrictions Grant – a discretionary scheme for businesses that are not able to claim a Local Restrictions Support Grant – Closed (LRSG-C) but have been severely impacted by national or local restrictions.

– Closed Business Lockdown Payment – a one-off top up grant to support businesses that have been forced to close during national restrictions from 5 January 2021.

– Taxi Driver Support Grant – a one-off payment to support local taxi, private hire and contract drivers who are licenced to trade in the borough of Chesterfield.

Find out more about these grants and apply online by visiting: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/bsg

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Chesterfield FC pledges support to Plastic Free Chesterfield

Chesterfield FC and Chesterfield FC Community Trust have both signed up to become Plastic Free Allies.

Joining forces with Plastic Free Chesterfield, both organisations are pledging to reduce their plastic waste and move away from single-use plastic to alternate solutions.

Greg Hewitt, the community lead at Plastic Free Chesterfield, said: “We’re incredibly delighted to have the support of Chesterfield Football Club and Chesterfield FC Community Trust.

“The work they do in schools, raising awareness of single-use plastic pollution is inspirational, and it is fantastic that they now wish to take this a step further by signing up to our campaign and look at reducing single-use plastics at the football club.

“Their support is a huge step forward in our campaign to make Chesterfield an accredited Plastic Free Community.”

“We now look forward to being able to support the club in their efforts as well as being able to work in partnership to develop the schools outreach work on plastics, and to roll this out across all Chesterfield schools. We encourage schools to get in touch to request this.”

Martin Thacker, co-vice chairman of the football club and a trustee of the Community Trust, signed the pledge on behalf of both organisations. He said: “We are very happy to support the work being done by Plastic Free Chesterfield to reduce the use of single-use plastic in order to protect the environment.”

Recently, Destination Chesterfield also pledged it’s support for Plastic Free Chesterfield.  Destination Chesterfield Manager, Dom Stevens said: “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.”

Chesterfield Football Club 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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A-Line announces launch of UK Holidays and Tours company

Chesterfield-based travel company A-line has announced the opening of a new UK Holiday & Tours company located in the heart of the town.

A-Line Travel is a local, family run business best known for providing local taxi services in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire, but has now expanded its operations to include trips to tourism and seaside destinations.

The company says its aim is to bring some joy and happiness to people in Chesterfield, giving residents something to look forward to again following a difficult 12 months during the global covid-19 pandemic.

The firm is predicting demand for UK-based holidays to soar in the wake of the pandemic, with already over 7 million people opting for UK coach travel each year. A-Line Travel will initially offer holidays and luxury coach travel to more than 25 UK destinations.

A-line was first founded as a taxi company in Chesterfield more than 20 years ago, serving a number areas of North Derbyshire including Clay Cross, Staveley and Bolsover, running from its office on Stephenson Place.

Following the company’s expansion, A-Line Travel has opened a new office on Soresby Street and has recruited Nicola Aldersley as its Managing Director. Nicola started her career in Chesterfield back in 1996, working for travel company Going Places. A-Line says her experience and knowledge of the industry means she is well-placed to meet the needs of Chesterfield customers.

Sales Manager Jo Shephard, who has over 14 years experience in the coach travel industry said: “UK coach holidays are becoming more and more popular each year with families, couples, singles and pensioners as they are such good value for money. Who doesn’t want a hassle free, package holiday from your local town at a fraction of the cost of a holiday abroad? We make holiday dreams a reality.”

You can find out more about A-Line Travel. and the holidays and tours being offered by the company at: www.a-linetravel.co.uk

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Celebrating Chesterfield’s STEM ambassadors

Educators, businesses and local authorities across Chesterfield have been working together in recent years, as part of efforts to encourage more students to consider further study of STEM subjects and progression into related careers, inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals.

To help with enthusing and engaging our young people, STEM Ambassadors volunteer their time and expertise to promote STEM to young people in original, creative and practical ways. They also work to support the STEM curriculum in schools, raising awareness of careers and supporting activities in the community. Ambassadors cross all ages and backgrounds, representing a vast spectrum of different employers.

Chesterfield businesses can get involved in supporting STEM careers in a number of ways:

  • Sign up as a STEM Ambassador at https://www.stem.org.uk/
  • offering tours of your workplace for students and teachers
  • delivering talks to groups of learners in schools about your organisation and job opportunities
  • mentoring students doing projects
  • networking with students and teachers
  • setting a project related to your sector
  • doing mock interviews
  • filming a video of you at your workplace
  • and much more!

What are the benefits of being a STEM Ambassador?

  • Engage and develop your employees
  • raise your profile within the local community, whilst also expanding your regional and national media presence
  • promote your apprentice roles directly to local schools and colleges
  • support your recruitment efforts, boosting your future technical and graduate pipeline
  • offer specific and sector careers information to young people and their influencers

Meet the Ambassadors

Here are a few examples of how STEM ambassadors are helping to drive forward the future workforce here in Chesterfield:

Name – Lindsay Rowe

Company – AECOM

Position in company – Senior Mechanical Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

To me, being a STEM ambassador is an opportunity to raise awareness of alternative careers, share my knowledge about the world of work and show young people that there really is something out there for everyone and there is more than one way to achieve your goal.

What it means for your business.

STEM ambassadors not only raise awareness of our industry in general, but they show students that they don’t have to move to London and the big cities to follow an exciting and rewarding career in engineering. Our company name and brand becomes more widely known and we get recognised as a company that students want to apply to when starting on the career ladder. Ultimately this makes it much easier for us to hire the people we need to continue growing our business.

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

I’m always happy and proud when I see children being inspired to think differently about the type of work they might like to do in the future. My proudest moment though was when I finally got to attend a careers event at my son’s school, he was the reason I started volunteering in the first place.

Name – Ann Fomukong-Boden

Company – Kakou CIC

Position in company – Co-Founder/Director/Principal Electronic Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

Being a STEM Ambassador is my opportunity to give back to my community and also encourage people to see how creative the STEM subjects are. I got into engineering through my love of music. The STEM subjects play a huge part in every aspect of our lives – even the fun things! I also like to challenge people’s stereotype of what an engineer is or looks like. Most people I meet rarely guess my profession from my appearance.

What it means for your business.

We have a community engagement programme called Social Fuse. We produce and facilitate creative-arts based STEM activities for our community. Social Fuse provides us with the opportunities to meet new people, build networks and collaborate on diverse, interesting projects that we may not have been aware of through our normal engineering activities. It brings variety to the business and we get to interact with young people, teachers, parents and organisations that we may have not otherwise encountered.

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

To be honest, I feel a sense of pride whenever I volunteer, especially when you see someone who is new to an activity suddenly have that moment where it all starts to make sense and they realise that they understand something that they previously thought was difficult.

A stand-out moment was being chosen by the British Science Association to be one of their inaugural Community Leaders in recognition of my time volunteering within the community. As part of that I went to the Houses of Parliament to give expert testimony at the APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. That day I also discovered that the Houses of Parliament use some equipment that I had designed – which brought a smile to my face.

 

Name – Julie Eley

Company – Ready4Work/School of Thought

Position in company – Co-Founder

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

It is a privilege to engage with young people, not only to give them information about different careers but also to offer hope especially in uncertain times.

What it means for your business.

We have set up a project called School of Thought so we can promote the Automotive Industry to young People. If it wasn’t for STEM we wouldn’t be able to do this, so this helps us tell everyone about the great Industry we work in, dispel myths and to build the pipeline for the next generation of Employees

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

Letting Young People know that there are different routes and that University isn’t the only choice. Personally, seeing some students tell me about their project of building a go kart, and seeing how excited and knowledgeable they were, I found it really inspiring

Name – Emma Knight-Strong

Company – Green Arch Consulting

Position in company – Owner

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

I am proud to be a STEM ambassador. I am passionate about my field and want to ensure that young learners understand what skills they need to have in order to follow their own dreams. I personally believe that a STEM ambassador is a person who can use their enthusiasm for their chosen profession to inspire young people to think about the huge range of possibilities available to them if they continue in STEM subjects. It’s less ‘teaching them a specific job type’ and more about showing them how STEM can help them be resilient and adaptive to a constantly shifting job market.

What it means for your business.

 It allows more people to understand the type of business that I am in and introduces learners to a sector that is still relatively new

 The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

Having a teacher say to me that the three young girls who had been asking lots of questions usually never said a word in class and he was amazed at how engaged they were with the activity.

Name – Tom Mowbray

Company – Rolls-Royce

Position in company – Sub-System Design Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

I find being a STEM Ambassador is a great excuse to share my excitement for Engineering with inquisitive minds. When I host STEM activities with kids it really is a two way exchange, whereby I’m sharing some insights about Engineering whilst setting challenges, and in return I get to see how young minds tackle the problem set. There’s some beautiful creativity that is quite inspiring.

What it means for your business.

“Our activities are designed to demonstrate the life-long opportunities that STEM careers can offer, helping to secure a future talent pipeline for ourselves and the wider industry. We hope that our education outreach programmes will inspire people to study the STEM subjects and show them the life-long opportunities that STEM careers can offer.”

https://www.rolls-royce.com/sustainability/performance/target-progress.aspx?reach-6-million-through-our-stem#reach-6-million-through-our-stem

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

I have participated in a variety of activities with children aged 7-18; covering topics such as friction, power and motion in primary ages through to GCSE maths tutoring, careers days and A-level mentoring. The range of options to get involved and the overwhelmingly positive feedback makes me proud to be involved.

For more information about the STEM Ambassadors scheme, you can contact the Derbyshrie Education Business Partnership (DEBP) on 01246 212535 or visit their website: https://www.debp.org/

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Chesterfield-based law firm Elliot Mather LLP assists Mellors Group in purchasing of Skegness Pier

East Midlands-based law firm, Elliot Mather LLP has recently acted on behalf of attractions and entertainment company, the Mellors Group in purchasing Skegness Pier, a landmark location in the Lincolnshire seaside town.

Elliot Mather LLP is one of the largest full service law firms in the East Midlands, with its head office based directly across from Chesterfield’s iconic Crooked Spire. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including businesses, entrepreneurs, individuals and families.

Natalia Delgado, Head of the Commercial Team at Elliot Mather has said: “It has been a pleasure to work with the Mellors Group throughout their purchase of Skegness Pier, we have worked incredibly hard to reach this point and wish them every bit of success for their latest venture.

“At Elliot Mather we are committed to a delivering accurate and efficient legal advice to our clients, tailored specifically to suit their needs. Our team at Elliot Mather are honoured to have been part of the Mellors Group’s journey to purchasing Skegness Pier and we are sure that their latest accomplishment is bound to be a roaring success.”

The Mellors Group are a Nottingham headquartered theme park, attractions and events business who operate across the UK and Middle East. Their name is highly reputable in Skegness after their purchase of Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells in 2016.

The company also brought the observation wheel to Chesterfield Town Centre, which was visible across the town’s skyline for a number of weeks and helped to generate footfall in the town.

James Mellor (Jnr), Operations Director at Mellors Group said: “It is an exciting time for us as a family. We are committed to ensuring that our attractions are of the highest standard and we look forward to implementing our new plans for Skegness Pier”

“We can’t thank Natalia and her team enough for their dedication to this project. The service we have received has been friendly and professional at all times, tailored to suit our needs – thank you Elliot Mather.”

Elliot Mather LLP 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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HS2 Phase 2b critical to business confidence, says East Midlands Chamber director

Investing in key infrastructure projects like HS2 are crucial to rebuilding the confidence of investors in the post-Covid world, an East Midlands business leader has claimed.

Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at East Midlands Chamber, warned the Government that failure to back the Eastern Leg of the high-speed rail line would affect sentiment in the region – with tangible knock-on impacts that would stifle job creation and economic growth.

He was speaking at the Levelling Up webinar hosted by transport body Midlands Connect shortly after it was announced that Phase 2a – connecting the West Midlands to Crewe – had been given royal assent in Parliament.

The future of HS2 Phase 2b – which will connect Birmingham and Leeds via a new East Midlands station in Toton and Sheffield, along with a spur of the line bringing HS2 trains to Chesterfield station – is uncertain after the National Infrastructure Commission recommended a scaled-back version of this line to stop at East Midlands Parkway station.

Businesses need solid Government commitments to plan ahead

Asked by The Sunday Times’ deputy political editor Caroline Wheeler what impact transport investment had on private sector confidence, Chris said: “It has a massive impact and I’d turn it the other way around to say that a lack of investment knocks confidence.

“It’s fantastic news that HS2 Phase 2a has been granted royal assent but there’s still uncertainty in the East Midlands about what’s going to happen to Phase 2b.

“That has a knock-on impact on confidence. When I speak to particularly our larger members, when they assess their asset plans in their various estates, they’re looking over decades rather than years.

“They want to know what the future holds and it’s really important the Government and policymakers don’t underestimate the impact of continually putting off decisions or making firm commitments to projects like this.”

Confidence might not be tangible, but the impact of it is

Chris also highlighted the importance of the connections that businesses, whether they trade locally or internationally, have to physical locations.

“They feel a commitment to the place they’re situated,” he said. “When I talk to members, they’ll talk about being a ‘Mansfield business’ or a ‘Market Harborough business’ – they feel real affinity to where they are as they’re often run by local people and employ people in their communities.

“So they want to buy into an exciting vision of what the future looks like for their business, families and communities they serve. Actually having a plan for infrastructure investment and seeing it take place gives confidence and makes businesses already here want to grow and invest.

“For those companies that are looking to move out of London or the South East – or potentially bring supply chains closer to home – they want to be excited about where they’re doing that so there’s a massive link between transport investment and confidence.

“And while confidence doesn’t feel tangible, the impacts of it very much are so it’s very important to see that investment going forward.”

Chris also spoke about a lack of quality work spaces hampering the influx of inward investment enquiries received by Derby, Leicester and Nottingham during the pandemic as more companies look to leave London, as well as the importance of embracing the region’s thriving advanced logistics sector.

Other panellists at the Midlands Connect Levelling Up webinar were Jane Stevenson MP, former Bassetlaw MP Lord John Mann and Lord Ravensdale, co-chair of the Midlands Engine All-Party Parliamentary Group.

The next event to be held in the webinar series will explore decarbonisation and takes place on Thursday 18 February. For more details, click here.

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New Local App Launched to Keep Kids Active

Local organisation, SHAPE Learning Partnership have set up a new free app to help parents keep children active during lockdown and beyond.

Parents are being urged to sign up to the app which sets fun physical challenges aimed at all children aged 5 – 16 who go to school in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.

Worrying statistics recently released by Sport England, show that the majority of young people failed to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise in the 2019/20 academic year. Almost a third of children (2.3 million) were classed as ‘inactive’ as a result of lockdown restrictions, not even doing 30 minutes per day.

Competitive sport has also been seriously affected, with all local grassroots community clubs forced to close their doors to 1000’s of children who attend weekly training sessions and activities.

SHAPE Manager, Paul Ryan said, “We understand how difficult it has been for children to be physically active whilst not in school and we know how much they have missed their clubs and activities. The forced closure of our local sports teams, dance classes, karate studios and sports centres will have lasting damage on children’s health and participation rates if we do not address it now.”

The new online platform gives parents and children free access to a wide variety of virtual challenges and competitions which can all be completed at home with little or no equipment. The app aims to combat the alarming decline in children’s activity levels by giving them the opportunity to engage in fun physical challenges, either just for fun or by entering competitions against other children.

It contains a variety of competitive and non-competitive challenges for all ages, meaning there is something for everyone. SHAPE will continue to add more challenges to engage the whole family beyond lockdown.

Getting set up on the app is really simple, with SHAPE creating a guide to take parents through the process step by step. Once set up, parents and children can get started straight away in participating in, and uploading scores for a wide variety of challenges.

Local Primary Teacher, Emily McKinnon from Hasland Junior School, said, “The app is a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage in physical activity, improve their skills, and compete against other children. The virtual platform is easy to navigate and is a way of ensuring our young people keep both their body and mind healthy through participating in sport and physical activity.”

To download the app, visit your mobile device’s app store and search for Playwaze. Once downloaded, follow the instructions to register and search to join ‘SHAPE Learning Partnership’ and the ‘School Games Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire’ communities.

For further information and to access the guide on how to get set up on the Playwaze app, contact www.shapepartnership.co.uk

SHAPE Learning Partnership 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 About Chesterfield

Work progresses on Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

Work on high-quality office accommodation which will support new and growing businesses in the town is on track to be complete by the summer – despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is now weatherproof – meaning another key milestone has been reached in the project programme.

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “It is fantastic to see this building progressing with such pace. Our contractor – Robert Woodhead has worked incredibly hard and overcome many challenges to make sure they can deliver this project without delay in a Covid-secure environment.

“I’m confident that this enterprise centre will provide the space and support for businesses to express their entrepreneurial spirit and start or grow local businesses in the borough. This will help ensure that we a creating a thriving borough with lots of opportunities for young people to develop excellent careers in our town.”

In January glazing was added to the building, which is of a high standard for maximum thermal efficiency. The first fix for mechanical and electrical engineering has begun and work is set to begin on the brickwork and cladding very soon.

Dan Cove, Project Manager from Robert Woodhead Limited said “Works are progressing really well despite a few challenging days with the snow and ice. The team on site are working to enhanced covid secure measures too so that has added to the operational complexities of the scheme. It’s taking shape and you can see what a great addition this will be for Chesterfield.”

Work dividing the interior and installing a lift has begun.

Andy Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, said: “As a local practice we are delighted to see progress still being made on site despite the pandemic.

“The Enterprise Centre is such an important part of the Northern Gateway regeneration in Chesterfield, providing a new and unique commercial offer which is designed to be a catalyst for further investment and development. As well as providing high quality facilities for businesses wanting to locate in the town centre, the architecture will provide a new contemporary landmark which will enrich the urban fabric of the town.”

Contractors Robert Woodhead have also achieved an ‘excellent’ mark in the initial Considerate Constructor Scheme assessment, which aims to raise standards in the construction industry. The building also remains on target to achieve an ‘excellent’ rating for its environmental sustainability.

Find out more about office facilities at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre here.

Whittam Cox Architects and Robert Woodhead Ltd. 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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Conference hears how digital upskilling and a human-first approach is key to developing resilient post pandemic future workforce

With demand for digital skills increasing by 36% in the last 12 months, digital upskilling in schools, colleges and businesses will be key to Chesterfield thriving post pandemic. That was the message from leaders at this year’s Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference.

At the virtual, live-streamed conference, it was revealed that the pandemic has brought digital skills to the forefront of work and education and opened up a number of exciting new employment opportunities in the low carbon economy.

Leaders speaking at the fifth annual conference stressed that collaboration between education providers and businesses is key to young people taking advantage of these opportunities post 16 and thriving in the workforce post pandemic.

Speaking at the conference Rachel Quinn, Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP said: “Covid has given us the impetus to push forward to use and develop technology to connect people and work better. However, we have to make sure that everyone can participate and make sure the connectivity exists and that everyone has the digital access and skills they need to succeed and thrive. Getting that connectivity right, for the economy and through into our education system is absolutely essential.”

Chesterfield College reported growth in the demand for digital skills in the area and has invested in a digital skills centre. James Lund, Interim Director of Sales at The Chesterfield College Group said: “Apprentice recruitment is starting to return to pre-Covid levels, and we anticipate digital skills being a growth area over the next two to three years. Similarly, we have also seen a growth in demand for apprenticeships in health and social care and construction.”

To ensure young people maximise the opportunities, headline speaker, author and former headteacher, Richard Gerver urged the conference to “look to our inner child in order to succeed and thrive in a post pandemic workforce.”

He said: “By changing our mindset and encouraging people to meet change and uncertainty with curiosity, awe, wonder and questioning rather than fear, young people will see the opportunities rather than obstacles.”

He warned of the long-term impact of change and uncertainty on the self-esteem of young people and urged people to remember the importance of softer skills alongside technical skills.

Mr Gerver added: “Covid has been the most horrific experience in most people’s lived experience but it won’t be the first or last time we have to cope with profound levels of change in our personal lives. All too often our reflex when dealing with a problem is to go direct to the technical or strategic solution, but we need to understand the human first and
that has never been more true than it is now, particularly when thinking about our future workforce.

“Dialogue between educators and businesses is more important than ever to support young people with career development. Real partnership is the key to success.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield reassured the conference that the council is committed to partnership working in order to ensure the future workforce have the post pandemic skills required by local employers.
She explained: “We’re not standing still in Chesterfield. We and our partners recognise that with change comes innovation and with challenge comes resilience. Building resilience and raising the aspirations of future generations is a priority for Chesterfield.

“Our aim is to continue to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure that our school and college leavers have the skills to access career opportunities available in the borough.”

The annual, free Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference is organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub, and Destination Chesterfield, and is open to businesses, schools and education providers from across North Derbyshire.

Chesterfield businesses that wish to work with the Careers Hub, provide work experience or workplace visit opportunities, recruit apprentices or upskill existing employees, are encouraged to get in touch with Emily Williams, Skills Delivery Officer at Chesterfield Borough Council by emailing Emily.Williams@Chesterfield.gov.uk or calling 01246 959717.

 

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Chesterfield Borough Council looks to secure the future of The Pavements Shopping Centre

At an Extraordinary meeting of Chesterfield Borough Council on Wednesday 10 February 2021, councillors voted in favour of acquiring the leasehold of The Pavements Shopping Centre in Chesterfield.

The decision is subject to further due diligence and agreement of terms.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The Pavements Shopping Centre plays a pivotal role in welcoming shoppers and visitors to Chesterfield town centre.

“Assuming we are successful in acquiring the leasehold, the council will be able to control the future direction of the shopping centre; shape the Southern Gateway to Chesterfield town centre; and build on the council’s many other ambitious plans for the town centre.”

Chesterfield Borough Council currently owns the land (the freehold) on which the shopping centre is built but the leasehold is held by a successor company to the CIN Pension Fund which originally built The Pavements back in the early 1980’s. The council then manages and operates the shopping centre through an under-lease arrangement between the leaseholder and the council.

The council has taken specialist advice from property investment advisors, who concluded it is financially prudent for the council to try and acquire the leasehold at this time.

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of the Council, continued: “Through this action, the council is seeking to secure the future of The Pavements Shopping Centre as a high-profile strategic town centre asset whilst at the same time protecting the council’s financial position.

“Negotiations between the council and the leaseholder have commenced, and we would hope that the terms of the acquisition can be finalised by the end of March 2021.”

You can find out more about the Pavements Shopping Centre here.

Businesses in Chesterfield are continuing to trade via click and collect or delivery services during the current national lockdown, while essential retailers remain open as usual. You can find out more on our Shopping During Lockdown page.

Pavements Shopping Centre

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Markham Vale celebrates another successful year, with just 13-acres remaining

Henry Boot Developments and Derbyshire County Council have hailed another successful year for Markham Vale, which saw the scheme secure a £25 million deal and welcome a host of new businesses.

Markham Vale is a joint venture between developer HBD and Derbyshire County Council. Located at Junction 29A of the M1 and spanning 200-acres, it is one of the region’s most successful schemes.

A planning application submission for Chester’s second restaurant concluded a strong twelve months which also saw the signing of a £25m deal with Aver for two units of 221, 518 sq. ft. and 75,500 sq. ft., both due to complete in the coming months. The units will complete the north section of the scheme.

13-acres remain across Markham Vale East and West, capable of accommodating a further 220,000 sq. ft.

2020 also saw the arrival of a series of new occupiers, including Blue Whale Spa, Transcare, which moved into a new 12,500 sq. ft. building and Xbite, which relocated to Markham Vale and more than doubled its warehouse operation.

Simon Ross, Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Markham Vale has had another successful year and we look forward to welcoming more businesses in 2021 – it’s a very well located scheme and the bespoke build options appeal to companies of all sizes and in a range of sectors. Of 200-acres when construction began, we now have just 13-acres remaining, including the ready-to-let MV55 providing 55,000 sq. ft. of prime warehouse space.”

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said: “Despite the obvious challenges brought about by the pandemic, we continue to support businesses at Markham to survive and thrive and the site continues to attract new businesses looking to relocate to Derbyshire signaling confidence in the local economy.”

Henry Boot Developments 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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