Development

North Derbyshire logistics scheme approved for extra 574,000 sq ft

29th July 2020

An additional 574,000 sq ft of warehouse and logistics space at a high profile new development in north Derbyshire has been given the go-ahead.

Joint venture partners St Francis Group and iSec have secured planning consent for a second phase at Horizon29, just off junction 29a of the M1 between Sheffield and Nottingham, for three more industrial units ranging in size from 113,000 sq ft to 250,000 sq ft.

The additional planning consent will bring the total space at the landmark scheme to an impressive 1.4m sq ft, with the potential to create more than 2,000 jobs for the region.

Work at Horizon29 is already underway with extensive ground works completed and infrastructure changes and highways and service upgrades about to commence.

The first phase of the development, for 824,000 sq ft across five units, ranging from 73,000 sq. ft to 310,000 sq. ft, was granted planning consent earlier in the year and plots are now available for development.

Gareth Williams, Development Director of St Francis Group, an expert in brownfield development and regeneration, said: “We and our partners, iSec, are delighted to have worked closely with the local planning authority in order to deliver this major consent for the second phase of our strategic logistics project, Horizon29 at Markham Vale.

“The East Midlands has seen a good take up of large, bespoke industrial premises over the last 12 months. We expect keen interest from a range of occupiers wanting first class accommodation, prime location and labour supply.”

Last week it was announced that the South Yorkshire Pension Fund and the SCR Jessica Fund have provided a £15.25 million senior and mezzanine debt facility to support the development of vital infrastructure which will be the catalyst for the delivery of this regionally strategic logistics and manufacturing site. This is the first joint loan provided by the Funds.

Nigel Lax, Development Director of iSec said: “This scheme is one of the most prestigious industrial developments in the East Midlands and will not only deliver much needed, state-of-the-art space, set within highly landscaped grounds, but thousands of jobs for the region.

“Securing phase two planning at Horizon29 means that the project can be pushed forward at pace to deliver this landmark scheme.”

Rebecca Schofield of joint letting agents, Knight Frank, added: “The site offers the opportunity for bespoke or build to specification accommodation for occupiers with leasehold and freehold requirements for the eight premium industrial/warehouse units.

“We welcome the opportunity to discuss and understand occupiers specific requirements so that detailed proposals can be tabled.”

St Francis Group and iSec is working closely with North East Derbyshire District Council, Bolsover District Council, Derbyshire County Council and the D2N2 LEP that has provided grant assistance to the project.

Sajeeda Rose, chief executive at D2N2, which invested £5.79m into the project via the Local Growth Fund, added: “As we look towards the economic recovery from Coronavirus, we at D2N2 are delighted to see the Horizon29 site continue to expand into a scheme ready to deliver new jobs to the North-Derbyshire and wider economy.”

Find out more about investing in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home

The ‘Energy for Business’ grant fund re-opens for applications

27th July 2020

Local SME businesses can apply for 40% of project costs from the ‘Energy for Business’ grant fund, an EU funded project delivered by the Energy Innovation and Collaboration team at the University of Nottingham.

Funding can assist projects such as implementing sustainable energy technologies, improving energy efficiency within the business or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Only business located within in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire are eligible for the funding. Please see additional eligibility information below:

The minimum cost of the project must be no less than £2,500
The maximum cost of the project must be no more than £20,000
It is a capital funds grant that is 40% match funded
The monies are awarded once the work/purchase is completed
Recipients will be chosen by an independent panel and their decision will be deemed to be final.

To find out more, or to apply for funding, enquiries can be made by emailing energy@nottingham.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications for the current round is Friday 28th August 2020.

To find out more about the University of Nottingham’s Energy Innovation and Collaboration team and how it supports businesses, click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Help for those affected by recent flooding

25th July 2020

More than 450 businesses and households affected by the November 2019 and February 2020 floods are able to get help to pay for flood mitigation measures.

Derbyshire County Council are set to administer a scheme that gives eligible properties a £5,000 grant to put in measures to help stop properties being flooded in the future. These could be flood doors, sealing brick work and external walls, replacing airbricks with flood airbricks, flood barriers and moving electrical sockets up the wall.

£500 of every grant will need to be spent on a specialist survey, which will ensure that the right mitigation measures are recommended and installed.

Around 300 businesses and households were affected by the floods in November 2019, which were in South Derbyshire, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield and Amber Valley. The February 2020 floods hit 160 properties in Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and South Derbyshire.

Derbyshire County Council will write to all those eligible for the grant, and claims for those who flooded in November 2019 will need to be submitted by the end of October, with work carried out by February 2021.

The deadlines for applications for those affected by the February 2020 floods and not yet known.

Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Simon Spencer, said:”This money will help businesses and householders put in some simple but effective flood mitigation measures that will help should the floods take place again.”

“The council will administer the scheme, process all applications and sort out a specialist survey, which will make sure that the right measures are recommended for each particular property. Surveyors will also check that the work gets completed to a good standard.”

“We saw a high number of properties flooded in many parts of the county, both in November 2019 and February this year, and I am sure that this money will help should we face similar circumstances again.”

Derbyshire County Council will use the services of specialist surveyors who are already used by the Environment Agency.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home

Chesterfield Borough Council adopts ambitious plan to rebuild economy

24th July 2020

Chesterfield Borough Council has adopted an ambitious plan to support and rebuild Chesterfield’s economy in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chesterfield Economic Recovery Plan, which was approved by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 14 July, outlines what the council, with the backing of other partner agencies, will do to support the town’s businesses to bounce back and help restore business and consumer confidence.

The Plan sets outs a comprehensive set of fully funded measures that include delivering a new business start-up support programme, which will encourage entrepreneurs and workers who may have lost their jobs due to covid-19 to bring forward new business ideas. Funding and expert advice will be available as will a premises location service.

The council will also be launching a portfolio of skills delivery initiatives. The initiatives will focus on the skills and training needs of local people, particularly young people, to enhance their prospects of securing the jobs on offer. Chesterfield residents and businesses will be able to access a new virtual skills and careers information hub. Particular attention will also be paid to the establishment of initiatives to reskill and upskill the current workforce.

Innovative promotional campaigns are already being rolled out with Destination Chesterfield to encourage people to shop local and support town centre retailers and market traders. The Plan also includes a series of initiatives aimed at raising the profile of Chesterfield as a visitor destination and hub.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Rebuilding the local economy following the easing of lockdown restrictions is a top priority for Chesterfield Borough Council and we have already implemented a number of financial and promotional measures to help our businesses through these challenging times.

“We understand this will be a worrying time for business owners of all sizes and it is important that the council and its partners continue to do all we can to ensure that local businesses receive all the help they need in these most challenging of times.

“Whilst there remains a high level of uncertainty about what the future holds, the Chesterfield Economic Recovery Plan provides a comprehensive roadmap for ensuring that Chesterfield continues to be a thriving borough.”

The council has to date paid out £25.7 million in small business grants to 2,202 Chesterfield businesses, administered business rates relief to a value of £18 million to 661 businesses and shared a further £1.05 million with 120 businesses via the Local Discretionary Grants Fund scheme.

The council has also provided expert advice and support to over 300 local businesses since mid-March and as a landlord to over 400 commercial tenants, amended rental terms including rent free periods for some and rent deferral arrangements for others.

The work done with retailers, market traders and licensees to safely and successfully re-open Chesterfield town centre has seen thousands of people return to the high street since 1 June.

The council has also not shirked from continuing to progress its ambitious £1 billion growth programme that when complete will deliver thousands of new jobs to the town and borough both during the construction phases and once works are complete. This includes the Northern Gateway Scheme where construction of the new Enterprise Centre on Holywell Cross (Donut) started on site during the lockdown period. Plans are also well advanced in progressing improvements to the public realm on Elder Way and taking forward the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project which will see a number of enhancements made to Chesterfield’s famous market grounds.

As part of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub, Chesterfield businesses can access an experienced business advisor and the council’s Economic Development team is always on hand to talk through and help develop solutions for businesses facing challenges large and small. You can contact the team by e-mail at economicdevelopment@chesterfield.gov.uk.

More information on the support that is available to businesses can be found at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/your-council/coronavirus-information-hub/businesses-information

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield

Surge in demand as Avant Homes Central is back building and selling on all its development sites

20th July 2020

Chesterfield-based Avant Homes Central has announced the successful restart of construction work and sales activity on all 10 of its residential development sites.

The housebuilder is operating each development in strict accordance with UK government public health guidelines regarding Covd-19 to ensure the safety of its people, residents, contractors, suppliers and site visitors.

Since restarting its build programme and opening its marketing suites, the company has experienced a surge in prospective buyer enquiries.

Commenting on the successful restart, Avant Homes Central managing director, Stuart Rowlands said: “As soon as we closed down our build and sales operations, we began planning a safe way to return to work once it was encouraged by the UK government.”

“This enabled us to restart our build programme at pace, closely followed by our sales operation. We experienced an immediate and significant surge in demand from prospective buyers wanting to view our homes, which is still ongoing. This is testimony to both our product and the great work done by our people to respond to the situation created by Covid-19.”

“Our customer appointment system is working well to meet the high levels of demand and our sales teams are fully trained to provide safe showhome and site viewing experiences. We look forward to welcoming many more people to our developments as we continue to steadily increase activity across all our sites.”

The housebuilder’s current developments under construction stretch from Worksop to Nottingham, and when complete will have delivered a total of over 1200 new homes combined.

Its latest developments include Egstow Park in Clay Cross, Woodyard Park in Nottingham, Phase 2 of the highly successful Portlands Development in Creswell and Waterside Quarter, part of the £340 million regeneration project on the edge of Chesterfield town centre, adjacent to the River Rother and Chesterfield Canal.

Avant Homes’ Waterside Quarter offers buyers 11 house designs

Sales momentum is expected to increase even further over the coming months following the government announcement to raise the threshold for stamp duty in England and Wales to £500,000.

Commenting on the changes Stuart said: “The chancellor’s announcement is fantastic news for those looking for a new home. The impact of Covid-19 has created many challenges for both developers and homebuyers and not only does this mean buyers can make significant savings on purchasing a home, but it also acts as a catalyst to boost the housing market.

“We very much welcome the changes and anticipate that buyers will jump at the opportunity to take advantage of the rates holiday.”

Avant Homes Central is part of Avant Homes, one of the UK’s largest privately-owned housebuilders. Currently operating in Scotland, Yorkshire, north east England and the Midlands, Avant Homes has a turnover of £483 million and employs around 780 people. The company’s head office is at Junction 30 of the M1, near Sheffield.

For more information about Avant Homes visit www.avanthomes.co.uk

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

Stuart Rowlands, Managing Director Avant Homes Central

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Featured, Home

Planning permission sought for canal restoration

16th July 2020

The Chesterfield Canal Trust has submitted a planning application for the restoration of the remainder of the canal within Chesterfield. This covers the 1.6 miles from Staveley to the edge of Renishaw.

The application can be viewed on Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning website here.

The route is mostly through open countryside. Part of it sits on the Staveley Puddlebank which is an embankment running for nearly half a mile across the Doe Lea river valley. The canal will cross the river on a 37m long aqueduct.

When it is finished, the canal towpath will provide a delightful walking and cycling route which will link up with the Trans-Pennine Trail, the Arkwright Trail and the Norbriggs Cutting Trail.

The volunteers from the Trust will build another lock at Staveley to complement Staveley Town Lock which they built a few years ago. Altogether the Trust has spent well over £200,000 on its work on this site. Derbyshire County Council’s Reclamation Department has also sunk considerable funds into the project which, along with the Loop Road, has transformed the area.

The canal is integral to the local landscape and the Trust is discussing how the restoration is central to the vision for Staveley currently being developed as part of the Towns Fund. Staveley is one of 101 towns allocated up to £25m each to support capital regeneration projects, and the Trust believes that this application should be one of the chosen projects.

Staveley Puddlebank, May 1970

The Trust was planning to start restoration work at Renishaw on a further kilometre of canal, working with volunteers, however the Covid-19 situation has paused all work. The hope is that this work can start in the autumn. When both sections are complete, they will extend the canal within Derbyshire by 2.5 miles.

In 1989, twenty miles of the Chesterfield Canal lay derelict between Worksop and Chesterfield. Since then 12 miles and 34 locks have been restored. 3 new locks and 11 bridges have been built plus 2 marinas. Just over eight miles remain to be completed and this planning application covers 20% of that distance. This is the next step in the Trust’s campaign to complete the restoration of the canal by 2027, which will be the 250th Anniversary of its opening.

Rod Auton, Chesterfield Canal Trust Publicity Officer said: “When this planning application has been approved and the work has been done, it will give 1.6 miles more canal to Chesterfield and open up a new walking and cycling route that will include the 37m long Doe Lea aqueduct. With the Avant Homes development at Waterside, the proposed new garden village on the old Staveley Works site and the eventual development at Staveley Town Basin, the next few years will see a total transformation of the canal”.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager added: “It’s excellent news that the restoration of Chesterfield Canal is moving forward at pace. The canal has played a role in Chesterfield’s economy for centuries. Where once it was a vital transport route it is now forming an important part of Chesterfield’s tourism offering. It offers exciting prospects for the town to further grow its overnight visitor economy.”

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.

Please note these images were taken prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Volunteer Work Party in Staveley Town Lock

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting

Robinson Packaging joins Britain’s biggest businesses to champion green recovery

14th July 2020

CEO of Chesterfield’s Robinson PLC, Dr Helene Roberts, represented the packaging industry at a virtual meeting of over 200 business leaders to kick-start plans to make Britain a global leader of environmentally sustainable economies.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. The event was due to take place in Glasgow in November but has now been postponed, threatening to slow efforts to tackle climate change and declining biodiversity.

The aim of the virtual event was to ensure that building an environmentally sustainable economy is back at the top of the agenda. Business leaders met with COP26 President and Business Secretary Alok Sharma and Environment Secretary George Eustice to plan the UK’s journey to COP26, now scheduled to take place in November 2021. The event was organised by the Council for Sustainable Business (CSB), in partnership with Defra.

Businesses including Unilever, Standard Chartered, Direct Line and Sainsbury’s heard film director and climate change campaigner Richard Curtis lead discussions on how the UK business community is inspiring action to repair our planet. Senior representatives from more than 200 businesses, NGOs and Government took part in the meeting.

Dr Helene says: “It was a truly inspirational event and I was delighted and proud to have taken part in what we hope will be a game changing commitment globally. As a company we are continually striving to become the best we can be environmentally and it is exciting to see other industries playing their part in a series of dramatic commitments which will help drive rapid and transformational change”.

Delegates focused on the steps being taken to advance a sustainable, green future and the need to take extraordinary actions to cut carbon emissions and restore nature and wildlife over the next 10 years, driving a ‘decade of difference’ for climate change and nature.

Liv Garfield, CEO of Severn Trent and CEO of the Council for Sustainable Business commented: “Business leaders have faced unprecedented challenges these past months and planning a sustainable future has slipped out of focus for many. It is more important than ever that we stay committed to make Britain a world leader when it comes to sustainable business operations which protect the environment for our future generations.”

“Every business in the UK has a role to play in delivering this. That is why today we are challenging ourselves and others to kickstart this new approach and commit to rapid and real transformations, proving that Britain can rise to the green recovery challenge.”

George Eustice, Environment Secretary said: “While the world has rightly been focused on tackling the immediate threat of coronavirus, the great global challenges of climate change, and nature and biodiversity loss have not gone away.”

“That’s why, especially ahead of COP26 in Glasgow next year, the government has committed to delivering a green and resilient recovery; the show of support from business leaders prioritising reducing emissions and restoring nature will play a huge part in delivering this and ensuring that the UK continues to be a global leader in protecting our environment for future generations.”

The event represents a key moment in the business community’s commitment to working with Government to deliver a green and resilient economy, aligning government policy and industrial scale to deliver ambitious environmental solutions.

Robinson Packaging 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, Business, Development, Featured, Home

CrossCountry services reinstated after lobbying efforts

8th July 2020

CrossCountry have reinstated a number of rail services to Chesterfield after outcry from local residents and a lobbying campaign led by the leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Cllr Tricia Gilby.

CrossCountry had announced that no services would stop at Chesterfield from the 6th July.

Following this announcement Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, wrote to the Regional Director of CrossCountry, making representations in the ‘strongest possible terms’ to reinstate the service as soon as possible.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, supported this: “The station and its excellent connectivity is an integral part of the growth ambitions of Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield wholeheartedly supports Chesterfield Borough Council’s lobbying to get CrossCountry’s decision reversed.”

Following the lobbying efforts and outcry from local rail users CrossCountry have had a change of heart and direct services will continue at peak times with connecting services to Derby and Sheffield at off peak times.

Commenting on the decision from CrossCountry, Councillor Tricia Gilby said: “I am delighted to hear that hourly CrossCountry train services at Chesterfield will be continuing during the busiest times of day.”

“As soon as I was made aware of the threat to CrossCountry services being withdrawn from Chesterfield station I wrote a very strongly worded letter to the Regional Director and involved local MP’s. We followed this up with very constructive conversations with CrossCountry and their new Regional Leadership Team.”

“Chesterfield Borough Council and our partners across Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and East Midlands have been campaigning for the full re-instatement of the CrossCountry service since we heard it may be withdrawn.”

“In normal circumstances around 620,000 passengers a year use CrossCountry services at Chesterfield, and whilst we are trying to rebuild the local economy and minimise the negative impacts on residents of our Borough and surrounding area, the action being proposed to temporarily suspend of all CrossCountry stops at Chesterfield from 6 July was appalling.”

“These services are critical to key workers and the growing numbers of people that are beginning to travel as the lockdown eases. The provision of regular and reliable public transport will be an essential part of our Coronavirus recovery plans for the Borough and northern Derbyshire communities.”

“I look forward to working with CrossCountry as our HS2 led regeneration proposals for the train station take shape over forthcoming months.”

Click here to find out more about HS2 in Chesterfield

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Chesterfield manufacturer to increase workforce by 20%

6th July 2020

A booming post-lockdown order book has prompted a Chesterfield manufacturer to create new full-time jobs, significantly increasing its workforce by more than 20 per cent.

Blachford UK, based in Holmewood, is looking for 20 people to fulfil a number of jobs and add to its growing work force. The available roles include multi-skilled maintenance engineers, apprentices, FLT Drivers and production operatives. All roles are available to start immediately and, following a 12-week probation period, will become permanent.

The pandemic left the business fearing for its future after it was forced to furlough all staff and shut the factory down for four weeks. After implementing social distancing measures and being given the green light by the Government to re-open, Blachford has since been met with unexpected demand for its acoustic insulation products which it produces for industrial vehicles.

Jason Lippitt, Managing Director, explained: “It’s a complete turnaround situation and a very enviable position to be in considering the current economic climate. Like many manufacturers, lockdown came as a real blow to us and created uncertainty in the business. However, since re-opening the factory, orders from our European and British customers have flooded in, securing the future of Blachford and creating brand new jobs. It’s a great sign for the local economy and manufacturing as a whole.”

Jason added: “All these new roles are part of the company’s growing future. It’s vital to me that all employees progress successfully in their career with Blachford and, more importantly, enjoy being part of a fantastic team.”

People interested in applying for the roles or who like further information, should email recruitment@blachforduk.com

Click here to find out more about locating your business in Chesterfield

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

D2N2 LEP allocated £44.4m in Government ‘New Deal’ plan

6th July 2020

The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), covering Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, has received a £44.4 million cash boost from the government to fund projects that will help the local economy and create jobs.

The ‘New Deal’ announcement is part of a comprehensive plan by government to deliver upgrades to local infrastructure and boost skills in a move to fuel economic recovery across the whole of the UK.

Answering a national call from Government, D2N2, together with partners from across the region, put forward a long list of compelling and innovative projects to deliver growth and continue to develop the talent, ideas, and facilities in the region.

These projects will now be evaluated by government to identify which will receive funding and deliver the most value in terms of restarting the local economy and meeting the future challenges of levelling up the UK. Successful projects will need to demonstrate they meet LEP key priorities and can be completed by the end of 2021.

David Williams, Interim Chair of D2N2, said: “We very much welcome the announcement by government. This will provide a major stimulus for our cities, towns and communities.”

“We believe the size of the allocation demonstrates a belief in what the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership can deliver and a testament to the collaborative working between the LEP and its partners.”

“We will continue to work with partners as we begin negotiations with the government to determine which projects will receive funding based on their ability to accelerate growth and create employment.”

“As we reshape our Local Industrial Strategy to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic it’s essential we remain flexible to support our communities, that we adapt to new opportunities, and build an economy that it is more resilient in the long term.”

“We will continue to work with government on future funding for investments to support our ambitions for the region.”

This fast-tracking of investment, totalling £11 million, will help kick-start activity in towns and high streets across the East Midlands, ensuring local people can see and feel the benefit as soon as possible.

The investment will support economic recovery as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be used to improve digital infrastructure; support skills and career opportunities; and the transition to a low carbon economy.

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

Chesterfield businesses can apply for free graduate recruitment scheme

3rd July 2020

Chesterfield’s SME businesses are being invited to access expert help to attract, select, recruit and train graduates through a region-wide funded scheme.

RISE is a unique business support initiative, focussed on enabling small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow through the employment of graduate talent.

RISE is delivered through a well-established collaboration of the region’s local authorities, universities and a specialist private sector delivery partner working together to provide thetailored support your business needs.

RISE makes the recruitment process easier for businesses, saving costs, time and increasing their access to a wider pool of suitable graduates; but more importantly it is about helping develop your know-how and capabilities, providing the practical tools that will enable you to confidently recruit graduates in the future.

This service is free of charge to businesses and a limited number of one-off small grants are available towards employment costs.

To be eligible your business must:

Be an SME based in the Sheffield City Region
Currently employ fewer than 250 people
Not already be routinely employing graduates
Be looking to create new/additional graduate-level jobs

SMEs who have used the scheme previously can access the scheme again, providing they meet the eligibility criteria.

To find out more about the RISE project, download the information brochure here or by calling 0114 221 0220.

The deadline for applications to get involved is Wednesday 29th July.

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