Development

Chesterfield chosen as home of new engineering business

20th May 2020

A new project management firm, Aspire Engineered Solutions, has opened within Chesterfield’s Tapton Park Innovation Centre.

The company specialises in complete project management including worldwide equipment installation, design & assembly services, service and preventative maintenance, overflow production facilities, plant efficiency surveys and sourcing experienced project staff.

Martyn Harness, Managing Director, told Destination Chesterfield: “One of our goals is to use local skilled labour to assist us in our installation projects both in the UK and worldwide. We are also keen to forge relationships with customers in Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.”

Aspire Engineered Solutions is currently helping to design a new medical facility in the Dominican Republic (below). The company will also be supplying the materials and labour for the project, with installation set to continue once travel restrictions are lifted. Their teams have previously worked on projects in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Vietnam, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, North & South America.

As well as their new office space, the company also has plans to open a workshop in Chesterfield within the next year.

Jim Love, Director of Site Operations, said: “We believe setting up a new business in Chesterfield will give us the staffing and engineering resources we need to be a success.”

Jim added: “We pride our business on our reliability and providing top notch customer service. Life is hard enough and we don’t like seeing customers struggle, we are here to help!”

To find out more about Aspire Engineered Solutions, visit their website here.

Chesterfield Innovation Centres, including Tapton Park Innovation Centre and Dunston Innovation Centre, are managed by Chesterfield Borough Council and are designed to assist small to medium sized businesses to successfully innovate and grow.

Click here to find out more about available commercial property in Chesterfield

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

Funding for part of Chesterfield Station Masterplan approved

20th May 2020

D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, has approved a £3.8m grant towards the construction of the Hollis Lane Link Road in Chesterfield.

The £7.42m project will form a critical part of the Chesterfield Station Masterplan, bringing forward wholescale regeneration and supporting sustainable economic growth in the centre of Chesterfield. This regeneration will include new commercial development, as well as significantly improved connectivity.

D2N2 will be funding the development through its Local Growth Fund allocation, an investment programme to support projects that benefit the regional economy.

The funding for the Hollis Lane Link Road follows similar awards for infrastructure projects that benefit Chesterfield residents including the A61 Corridor, HS2-related development, and the Chesterfield Higher Level Skills Centre worth a combined £10.57m.

The new Hollis Lane Link Road will extend from the junction of Hollis Lane and Spa Lane and will terminate at the southern extent of the Chesterfield Station car park, providing direct access to the railway station from the south.

Furthermore, the Hollis Lane Link Road will unlock 0.92 hectares of early development plots within the Chesterfield Station Masterplan area which it is hoped will lead to over 500 jobs being created by businesses moving into the new development.

Remedial works are due to begin in September 2020 with work expected to be completed by late 2021.

D2N2 Chair Elizabeth Fagan CBE said: “Our investment into the construction of the Hollis Lane Link Road will be another important milestone for Chesterfield’s regeneration ambitions, bringing significant growth and investment opportunities whilst creating more homes, jobs, and learning places.”

“D2N2 is pleased to support investment in our town centres to stimulate economic growth which will be central to supporting the region’s recovery from the impact of Covid-19.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Simon Spencer, said: “The Hollis Lane Link is a great example of the ambitious work now being undertaken by the Joint Growth Board.”

“It is a key part of the Chesterfield Masterplan which will bring a range of economic benefits to the town and surrounding area.”

The Joint Growth Board is body set up between Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council tasked with delivering key regeneration projects which will aid the borough’s growth strategy.

Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Councillor Tricia Gilby, said: “The Hollis Lane Link road adds value to the work we are already doing on the emerging station masterplan, which is a significant project for Chesterfield and northern Derbyshire’s economy.”

“We are in the process of finalising the station master plan and will be undertaking public consultation later this year.”

“The station masterplan will define our aspirations for the economic future of the area and we continue to work closely with partner agencies to maximise this huge opportunity for Chesterfield Borough and beyond.”

Click here to find out more about HS2 and the Chesterfield Station Masterplan

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

Grants available for Derbyshire Visitor Economy Businesses

18th May 2020

Visitor economy businesses in Derbyshire are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to rebuild their business and develop valuable digital assets in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire is offering business grants to support a range of activities such as website development, new photography, the creation of virtual tours and the implementation of cashless payment systems to help businesses bounce back and drive the recovery of the sector.

The grant programme is part of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire’s European Regional Development Fund project, and has been recently updated to reflect new business needs that have emerged as a result of the current climate.

Alongside digitalisation, grants of £1,000 to £10,000 are also available in the following areas:

Accessibility – e.g. accessible equipment and facilities for people with disabilities.
Environmental – e.g. electric car charging points, e-bikes or a water system for use by visitors that replaces the need for plastic bottles.
Cycling – e.g. secure cycle storage and maintenance equipment for use by visitors.
Internationalisation – e.g. website translation or the implementation of online booking/cashless payment systems to encourage international visitors.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, said: “I’m delighted that we are able to offer this funding through our European Regional Development Fund project. Derbyshire’s tourism industry is incredibly important to the local economy and these grants will enable businesses to rebuild and bounce back stronger than ever.

Jo added: “Grants are available for things such as online booking systems and virtual tours, which are both key in the current climate and will help to enrich the area’s tourism offer and power our recovery plans. I would urge businesses to visit the website for more information and get your applications in as soon as possible.”

Businesses applying for the funding must meet the following criteria:

They must be part of the visitor economy and its supply chain, including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies.
They must be located in Derbyshire.
They must have less than 250 employees.
They will need to demonstrate how the grant funding will help their business to become more competitive and support the area’s wider visitor economy.

Successful applicants will receive a 50% grant towards the cost of the overall project, with a minimum 50% grant contribution being £1,000 and the maximum £10,000.

A free webinar providing more details on the business grants programme is being held on Thursday 21 May.

Eligible businesses can register their interest for a grant now at https://business-grants-scheme.eventbrite.co.uk.

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

Chesterfield Royal leads the way in Covid-19 research

18th May 2020

Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s Research Team has become one of the UK’s leading figures in the country’s efforts to treat COVID-19.

The team has been recruiting to a number of urgent public health research trials, some of which are designed to explore potential treatments for COVID-19.

Amanda Whileman is the Royal’s Matron for Clinical Research, she said: “We’re recruiting to a number of urgent public health studies, namely a study looking at how our genes play a part in the virus, an observational study to find better ways of diagnosing and managing COVID-19, and ‘RECOVERY’. We are also collecting data for a COVID-19 in pregnancy study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) to inform guidance on care for women and babies.”

“For us, the ‘RECOVERY’ trial is particularly significant as we’re looking very closely at several different existing treatments recommended for testing by the Chief Medical Officer. The purpose of the research is to find out whether treatments are effective for COVID-19. Patients are randomly selected through a computer process to receive one of the treatment options or no additional treatment. Our results will be combined with those from other hospitals to assess the effectiveness of these treatments.”

The Research team was able to act very quickly to national calls for patients to become involved in these trials. Their approach has been particularly impressive given that some of the team are themselves in the ‘at risk’ category.

Amanda added: “There are two studies that we are about to embark on, one being the ‘Principle’ trial which takes us out into the community, working with our Royal Primary Care colleagues. This study is about reducing the rates of hospital admission for patients with suspected COVID-19 for those aged over 50 years with certain underlying health conditions and over the age of 65 with or without an underlying condition. Again, it’s about assessing the effectiveness of trial treatments in preventing hospital admissions.”

“It is quite remarkable that we only started on our journey of recruitment to COVID-19 studies on 19^th March, yet have managed to collect a significant amount of data. We commenced recruitment to the RECOVERY trial on 26^th March and the genetics study on 21^st April.”

“We’ve had to split ourselves into two teams; those that are able to be patient facing and those who are in the ‘at risk’ category themselves. Both teams have been working on a rota, seven days a week to ensure we are able to offer the research studies to all eligible patients.”

“The team that is unable to attend the wards has been working closely with critical care in order to enroll patients remotely into studies. They have been liaising with patients’ families to explain the nature of the studies to keep them informed, working tirelessly to input the much needed data onto the databases. We’ve worked around the clock to ensure that the answers we are looking for in relation to COVID-19 and its treatment are found as soon as possible.”

“We are extremely proud that we are one of the highest recruiting sites in the UK for the RECOVERY trial. This, without a doubt, is down to the passion and commitment the research team and our colleagues have shown to deliver a gold standard service to the patients in our community. We also cannot forget that without patients volunteering to take part, none of this research could take place. We are incredibly grateful for their participation and support.”

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

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

New report highlights Chesterfield town centre’s potential to recover from coronavirus epidemic

11th May 2020

A new report has claimed that Chesterfield town centre may be more resilient and may recover from the impact of the coronavirus epidemic more quickly than other towns and cities across the UK.

The ‘Impact of Covid-19 on UK town and city centres’ report produced by the Local Data Company claims “More resilient town centres will be those less exposed to the intense challenge leisure occupiers face by the prolonged lockdown.”

Within the report Chesterfield is identified as one of the top 10 towns with the highest percentage of essential retail, which is currently still trading. The local data company suggests this will add strength to the town.

The reports says: “15 of the top 100 town centres have an undersupply of leisure compared to the GB average (25%) with Peterborough, Swindon, Walsall and Chesterfield being the largest of the 15. Out of those 15 with an undersupply of leisure, Peterborough, Chesterfield, Rotherham and Enfield also appear among the top 10 towns with the highest percentage of essential retail which is still able to trade, which will add strength to these towns.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The findings from the Local Data Report confirms what we have long known – Chesterfield is a resilient, forward-thinking town. We have a good mix of chain and independent shops and traders which has always created interest in the town centre and encouraged people to visit.

“Despite the current lockdown, the town’s shops, stores and market stall owners have adapted and Chesterfield remains open for business – either online or with social distancing measures in place.

“Throughout lockdown Destination Chesterfield has pushed the Shop Local message and this is paying off in this time of crisis. It is encouraging to hear town’s independent shops, stores and market traders that more people are embracing Shop Local and pledging to continue to do so after lockdown ends.”

Read the full local data company report

Find details of Chesterfield Business, which are open in the town centre or continue to offer services and products online.

Read how Chesterfield retailers are faring during the epidemic and how they are optimistic for the future.

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

Derbyshire building firm secures Markham Vale development project

7th May 2020

A Derbyshire based commercial construction company have been selected to work with Transcare 28 Ltd on their new build site at Markham Vale.

Goodward Construction, a commercial construction company from Derbyshire, has begun work on the site which will house a new workshop and offices for Transcare’s onsite and workshop-based maintenance services for commercial vehicle operators.

Goodward Construction’s Managing Director, Simon Knighton said, “We are delighted to be working with the Transcare team again. This time it’s slightly challenging in the current climate, but we have been fortunate to be able to implement the new social distancing measures and our colleagues have been flexible to ensure we have a minimum number of people on site.”

Transcare 28 Ltd provide HGV repair and maintenance solutions throughout the Midlands and into South Yorkshire, offering a full range of onsite and workshop-based maintenance services for all commercial vehicle operators. This includes trucks, trailers, light commercial vehicles and PSVs.

Managing Director, Darren Parkin says “We’re very excited at being part of the Markham Vale community and working with the Goodward Construction team. Having previously worked together and knowing Simon and the team’s high standards, we are looking forward to the completion of our new depot.”

Find out more about the Markham Vale development

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home

East Midland Chamber responds to business rates announcement

7th May 2020

The planned revaluation of business rates will no longer take place in 2021, to help reduce uncertainty for firms affected by the impacts of coronavirus.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has announced that following the recent economic shocks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the legislation to bring the next business rates revaluation forward by one year, from 2022 to 2021, has been scrapped.

Commenting, Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), said: “Although this move will put an end to the uncertainty caused by the planned 2021 business rates revaluation, it won’t address the fundamental issues of our broken business rates system, which have long needed fixing.

“Despite attempts by successive governments to introduce marginal reforms, the current business rates system is still unfair and damaging to businesses of all sizes, sectors and locations. It’s a burden with a high up-front cost, which firms are forced to pay before they make even a penny of profit.

“In the post-coronavirus economy, business is going to be called upon to do much of the heavy lifting to ensure our recovery is both swift and sustainable. So, rather than use the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason to postpone the next revaluation, Government should instead use it as the stimulus to address the longstanding flaws within the current system to make it much, much fairer and alleviate some of the excessive pressure it puts on businesses.”

Posted in Business, Development

Former Chesterfield Register Office to be sold

6th May 2020

The former Chesterfield Register Office has been sold for an undisclosed fee.

A meeting on Friday 17th April 2020 agreed the sale of the former register office and a two-storey house on the site. The three-storey former registry building sits next to the 45-space Beetwell Street multi-storey car park, opposite Tesco Metro and close to the Portland Hotel. It was built in the 1940s and used for four decades by residents registering births, marriages and deaths.

Derbyshire County Council said: “In principle and subject to planning permission, the site is suitable for a range of uses including residential, commercial office, community uses, healthcare or other institutional uses.”

“The site is not in the primary retail area or an otherwise established retail frontage, but could be suitable for retail or food and drink use of an appropriately limited scale.”

“We are advised that Chesterfield Borough Council’s preference would be for conversion and re-use of the existing buildings.”

In 2018, Chesterfield Register Office moved from New Beetwell Street into Chesterfield Town Hall and in November 2018, it welcomed the first families to register the births of their babies.

The new venue offers improved facilities for those who use the Register Office, and will offer a greater choice of rooms for weddings and civil partnerships. The new office is also much larger and includes separate waiting areas for people who are registering a birth to those who are registering a death.

Councillor Carol Hart, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities said:“The register office has been in New Beetwell Street for over 40 years but wasn’t giving us the opportunity to offer the sort of services we want to.”

She also added that the new office in the town hall “will be a much better place to visit to register a birth or death, celebrate getting married or a civil partnership.”

The new register office also gives more space for the historic registers containing entries of all the births, deaths and marriages in Derbyshire since 1837.

Image credit: Derbyshire County Council

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home

Sister company of Chesterfield Waterside developers signs £150 million regeneration deal

5th May 2020

The sister company of Chesterfield-based Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company delivering the Chesterfield Waterside project, Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, has signed a major £150 million funding deal with Legal & General.

The deal will bring forward the first phase of a Sheffield city centre mixed-use regeneration scheme – West Bar Square, which will deliver large footprint, modern office space, currently lacking within Sheffield’s property market. Once complete it will accommodate up to 1,800 workers, along with residential accommodation and car parking.

Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc and Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, commented: “The world as a whole is in unchartered territory at the moment and these are deeply concerning times for everyone. However, the funding deal with Legal & General and the progress we are making with the office accommodation at Chesterfield Waterside are very much positive signs for the UK’s economy.”

“Although the country is currently in lockdown, investors are already starting to look beyond this, which points to an economic recovery sooner rather than later.”

The £150 million West Bar Square phase 1 scheme comprises 200,000 sq. ft. of Grade A office space, circa 350 ‘Build To Rent’ homes, a multi-storey car park and high quality landscaped public spaces.

Peter Swallow added: “ The funding partnership we have agreed with Legal & General will guarantee delivery of large scale regeneration in this important part of the city, linking the rapidly expanding Kelham Island district to the city centre.”

As well as West Bar Square, Bolsterstone’s £300million Chesterfield Waterside scheme continues to move forward apace. Avant Homes has begun construction of 177 new houses in the Waterside Quarter of the scheme, which already have a number of sales reservations, and the company is in advanced talks with occupiers for the majority of the space in the seven-storey office block planned for the Basin Square neighbourhood, which is due to start on site in the summer.

Click here to find out more about Chesterfield Waterside and what it means for the area

Posted in Business, Development

Chesterfield company invent upcycled phone harness to protect mobile phones and the environment

1st May 2020

Chesterfield business, Oasis Studio, have designed and created an upcycled mobile phone harness to help protect mobile phones and the raise awareness of the environmental damage they cause.

As a digital media company, Oasis Studio’s content is delivered on electronic devices, and they wanted to do more to protect the devices their content is delivered on. They invented the Yoyo Grip out of used bike inner tubes to extend the life-cycle of a smartphone, whilst also stopping more inner tubes from going to waste. Oasis’ aim is to stop mobile phones from dropping, cracking and getting lost, in order to extend the devices’ life-cycle as much as possible, and reduce the demand of new phones being created.

Founder and Director of Oasis Studio, Paul Deakin, said: “There are 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide, with 78% of the UK population owning one. That’s a lot of mobile phones that are contributing towards our carbon footprint, and we felt we had to do something about it.”

“Used bike inner tubes also go to landfill, so we at Oasis Studio decided to tackle both issues head on. The Yoyo Grip is a harness that’s upcycled from bike inner tubes, to save mobile phones and the environment.”

Nick Brown, Managing Director of havebike, a bicycle repair and maintenance company, said: “A product that prevents damage to mobile phones and reducing further waste and consumption is just genius. It’s also a well thought out design that’s very functional.”

He added: “As an environmentally conscious bicycle service company, we’re very mindful of how we recycle waste. We’re delighted to be able to donate old inner tubes so they can be turned into Yoyo Grips. We’re even more excited about stocking the Yoyo grip as a product!”

The Yoyo Grip attaches around your mobile, whilst retaining full functionality of the smartphone including the camera and side buttons. The elasticated cord and utility clip then attach to your wrist or belt loop, to stop your mobile getting dropped or lost. The Yoyo Grip will go live on Kickstarter on the 1st of May and finish on the 31st of May.

Find out more about the Yoyo Grip here.

Click here to find out more about Oasis Studio

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

New website highlights how Chesterfield’s businesses and service providers are adapting during lockdown

30th April 2020

A new website is helping Chesterfield’s independent businesses and service providers continue to operate and supply their services and products during lockdown.

People are being urged to #LoveChesterfield and use the new website to access the products and services of local businesses and organisations during lockdown.

Developed and launched by Destination Chesterfield www.chesterfield.co.uk/supportinglocal has details of nearly 100 shops, food and drink businesses, training, support and service providers in and around Chesterfield that are continuing to operate by adapting their services to meet the needs of the community.

And Destination Chesterfield wants to add even more businesses, organisations and supports services to the free online directory!

A listing on the website is FREE and Destination Chesterfield is keen to hear from any business or service provider that is offering or adapting products and services in support of the COVID-19 effort.

There are eight categories on the website – Shopping, Food and Drink, Dine at Home, Keeping Busy, Pets, Education & Training, Business Services and Community Support – all combined in an easy to use directory. Details of the businesses and how you can purchase or access the products or services are listed on the site. Business owners and service providers can supply their details free of charge for inclusion on the new website.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager commented: “The mission for Destination Chesterfield has always been to encourage as many people as possible to support the town and celebrate its achievements. The resilience that local businesses and service providers have shown during lockdown has been remarkable and we hope the new website will become a valuable tool in supporting them further in their efforts to remain operational.

“We’re encouraging everyone to #LoveChesterfield and continue supporting small independent businesses and service providers throughout lockdown. Every trader and service producer plays an important part in the local economy and we all need to work together to can ensure their survival beyond these extremely challenging times.”

National retailers are currently deluged with consumer demand, causing long queues into both their websites and stores, as well as prolonged delivery times. Shopping local at independent retailers not only supports a small business but also puts money back into the local economy.

If you’re a business owner or service provider and would like to be considered to be included on the new website, please complete the form at https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/supportinglocal/get-involved/ .

To find out more about the new ‘Supporting Local’ site, please visit: www.chesterfield.co.uk/supportinglocal.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Visiting