Development

CT strengthens executive team with Commercial Director appointment

Rob Longden has been promoted to Commercial Director at CT to support the company’s drive for further growth and success.

After joining CT over two years ago, Rob previously held the post of Head of Operations and has led an operational transformation to drive greater efficiencies within the service desk, providing significant benefits to both customers and the team. This, coupled with more than 25 years of operational leadership and significant experience within the Managed Services area made Rob a very natural choice to take a key role in the business and become CT’s Commercial Director.

Rob said, “I was delighted to accept the promotion and be part of a company that has such a unique approach to helping organisations achieve their business goals. I am looking forward to the challenge of the new role and using skills I have adopted throughout my career to build great teams and grow the business.”

Ian Snow, MD at CT, Said “Rob’s new appointment is a great step forwards for the business as we strengthen the board and continue to invest in our growing business. Rob has an impressive wealth of experience and enthusiasm and an ability to grow and build outstanding teams of people. Rob will now be leading both the operational and account management teams to enable coherent working from customer management through to service delivery.”

Under his new title, Rob’s key objective will be to ensure that the commercial models throughout the business deliver a growth strategy in line with the strategic business plan.

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

Hasland to receive community contributions alongside new housing development

Work is currently under way at a new housing development in Hasland, which will bring more than £600,000 of educational and health community contributions to the area.

Persimmon Homes Nottingham is creating a new community in Hasland as it builds 160 new homes off Mansfield Road.

Both Hady Primary School and Hasland Hall Community School are set to benefit from Section 106 contributions agreed during the planning process for the site, which will help create a further 37 pupil places across the two schools.

The NHS North Derbyshire CCG will receive £60,000 to support Hasland Medical Centre and Avenue and Hasland Partnership.

Persimmon’s Alderman Park development will feature two, three, four and five-bedroom homes and the company is working to open its showhome in January 2020.

Managing Director for Persimmon Homes Nottingham, Neil Follows, said: “We see our Alderman Park development as an extension of the thriving Hasland community.”

“This is the first time we have built in the area, so we are looking forward to introducing visitors to our range of homes.”

“We are already seeing many customers getting ahead of the game and securing their new home off-plan,” added Neil.

“Buying this way is ideal because you can secure your preferred property and location within the development.”

Located to the south-east of Chesterfield town centre, Alderman Park is near to all amenities and attractions required for everyday life as well as being close to beautiful countryside. Along with these benefits, comes convenient transport links by road, bus and rail.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home, Leisure, Visiting

Fortem assists Ashgate Croft School with new post-16 common room

Construction company Fortem are assisting Ashgate Croft School in transforming their ‘Pod’ classroom (below) into a new post-16 learning environment and common room area.

The new common room will include a kitchen area which will allow a group of pupils to prepare simple meals and lunches independently, in order to help their transition to life after school.

As part of the refurbishment, Fortem are assisting with electricity and heating systems to meet the needs of the students. New external doors, windows and flooring will be installed, with a new door leading to a fenced garden, creating a safe outdoor place for the pupils.

Richard Windle, Teacher at Ashgate Croft Primary School, said: “As a school we are always evolving to improve our provision and outcomes for our fantastic students. Over the last few years in the current economic climate, this has proved to be very challenging.”

He added: “The work pledged by Fortem to refurbish our common room will increase opportunities and improve the life skills of our students for years to come, this will truly change the learning environment and be a legacy in our school for generations.”

Fortem Solutions Limited deliver a range of planned, preventative and responsive care to property, which includes maintaining 120,000 homes across the UK. Fortem are committed to supporting the local community and work on many projects across the borough at any one time.

The current classroom will be transformed into a new common room area by Fortem 

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

Award nominated work revitalising Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre has been shortlisted for an award at this year’s prestigious REVO Gold Awards.

Vicar Lane has been acknowledged in the Re:wired category for their innovative use of digital technology which enables the shopping centre to better understand the preferences and behaviours of customers.

The Re:wired award recognises and celebrates the best examples of innovative retail property technology. Vicar Lane has been shortlisted along with big names in the retail sector including Westfield and Savills, highlighting the industry-leading nature of the approach.

The Centre and its owner Alterx have both been working with tech specialist Maybe*Tech to engage with the Chesterfield audience. The fascinating results have helped to shape the future design and function of Vicar Lane as well as helping to create a better experience for visitors.

The findings have led to a new approach to the leasing of empty shops with Steeplegate coming to life again as a venue for independent brands.

The approach has also helped shape the development of the centre’s marketing and promotions, and led to innovations like the giant new screen which opens in St James’ Square next month.

David Goldstein of Alterx explains: “The innovative work with Maybe*Tech has allowed us to actively use social media to monitor and communicate with our customers to understand what they want from Vicar Lane. This has led to us developing a series of successful pop-up events such as flower arranging, cinema screenings and a micro pub to compliment Vicar Lane’s current retail offer.”

Other new technology innovations have seen a partnership with parking specialists Reef, which has led to the Vicar Lane car park being upgraded to be fully automated and ticketless. Number plate recognition and an easy mobile payment enables a faster and frictionless parking system which is more efficient and environmentally conscious.

Behind the scenes, Alterx has set up new in-house communication channels for Vicar Lane retailers. This enables greater visibility on tenant trading performance which allows retailers to make better informed decisions.

The results have also seen increases in pedestrian counts, which is great news for Chesterfield, especially when so many similar towns across the country are struggling.

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Home, Leisure

Chesterfield manufacturer expands

Pronto Industrial Paints in Chesterfield has expanded the size of its Holmewood premises for the second time this year after acquiring an adjoining one-acre site.

A £575,000 funding package from NatWest was used to  purchase the land and an empty workshop at its Stainsby Close site, growing it to three acres. Over the next 12 months, the site will be transformed into a training academy, allowing the firm to educate both customers and apprentices on the use of its specialist paints, including compliant coatings, one coat systems and CV systems.

The funding will also support the purchase of new machinery in the main factory to enable Pronto Industrial Paints to increase its production capacity in 2020. The investment will create 10 new jobs, which will increase the size of its staff base to 49 employees.

David Beckford, Managing Director at Pronto Industrial Paints, said: “We are committed to investing in the future of our business by expanding our premises and machinery assets, but also investing in the future of others by educating customers and apprentices on how to use our paints.

“As we transform our expanded premises into a training centre, we are keen to partner with local colleges and support a recognised apprenticeship scheme for Industrial Applicators that will set young people up for a future career in the industry. With the support of NatWest, we look forward to incorporating our additional acre-site into our current premises and renovating it into a fit-for-purpose academy.”

Founded in 1989, Pronto Industrial Paints is a family-run manufacturer of high technology surface coatings, supplying commercial partners and clients with paints specific to their exact needs. The business has doubled in size over the last 10 years and the aim is to continue this growth and double the size of the business again over the next 10 years.

Pronto Industrial Paint

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development, Home, Manufacturing

Over 50 schools to receive a share of building boost fund

More than 50 schools across Derbyshire will benefit from building improvements, thanks to Derbyshire County Council’s £1.6 million funding programme.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet approved proposals to provide 54 Derbyshire primary and secondary schools with joint-funding for maintenance projects costing between £20,000 and £100,000.

The funding has been made available through the Insurance Maintenance Pool Allocations (IMP) for 2019-20 – a building maintenance scheme that generates funding from schools which sign up to carry out repairs and improvements – the majority of which we match-fund.

The current IMP has generated £1,195,800 which has been match-funded with £452,000 from Derbyshire County Council children’s services capital budget totalling the £1,647,800 improvement budget.

It will fund projects at the 54 schools including new roofing, boilers, heating systems, new walls, floors, doors and improved path and pedestrian areas.

Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Young People said: “We are pleased that primary and secondary schools throughout the county are going to benefit from our IMP joint-funding programme.”

“It is vitally important that our schools have the funding available to carry out maintenance projects so every child can learn in the best possible environment and be inspired to achieve their potential.”

“We’re keen to approve projects like these which highlights our commitment to helping schools achieve their plans, make improvements and prevent the need for costly repairs in the future.”

“These improvements will not only help us ensure that every child has the best start in life but will also have a positive impact on staff, visitors and the local community.”

As part of this round of IMP funding, maintenance projects with a value between £20,000 and £40,000 for primary schools and between £50,000 and £100,000 for secondary schools – which have been deemed a priority by Derbyshire County Council surveying team – have been approved.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home

Avant Homes bringing 97 new homes to Clay Cross

Chesterfield housebuilder Avant Homes will build 97 new homes at Egstow Park in Clay Cross, after being granted planning permission by North East Derbyshire Borough Council for the development.

Located off Market Street in Clay Cross, the £23m development will form part of the wider Egstow Park regeneration scheme, bringing more than 825 new homes alongside offices, shopping areas, a hotel, public spaces and woodland.

Avant Homes acquired the 10-acre site from St Modwen PLC and plans to commence groundworks immediately with the first homes expected to be ready for occupation in July 2020. Called Egstow Park, the development will include a mixture of three and four-bedroom modern, design-led homes across 10 different housetypes. Of the 97 homes that will be built, 11 have been designated as affordable housing.

Stuart Rowlands,  Managing Director of Avant Homes Central said: “We’re very pleased that planning permission has been granted for our homes at Egstow Park. It is a significant regeneration scheme for Clay Cross and the wider region, and we’re excited to be a part of it. As a Chesterfield-based business we’re proud to continue investing in the area through the construction of much-needed quality homes whilst creating hundreds of jobs for local people in the process.”

“The development is in a prime location, close to the centre of Clay Cross and its range of amenities. It is well positioned to provide easy access to the growing town of Chesterfield, meaning Egstow Park is going to be a highly sought-after new residential neighbourhood.”

This is Avant Homes’ fourth current development in the Chesterfield area. De Rhodes Point in Woodthorpe and Portlands in Creswell have both proven popular with homebuyers, whilst the highly anticipated Waterside Quarter, part of the £340m Chesterfield Waterside regeneration scheme, is currently under construction (below).

Nick Whittingham Development Director at St Modwen said: “We are very pleased to complete the sale of this prime site to Avant Homes and to see the development get planning. This further accelerates our regeneration of the former Biwater Pipes brownfield site by opening up the Market Street end of the scheme to provide further serviced housing land and areas of public open space.”

Avant Homes Central is located at Holmewood Business Park on Chesterfield Road. Its development operations cover South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Home, Leisure

Be ‘Ginspired’ with Chesterfield’s newest independent retailer

A new independent drinks retailer, Ginspired, has opened in Chesterfield’s Market Hall, specialising in gin, rum, whisky and other spirits.

Ginspired will focus on high quality spirits with over 200 unique and interesting bottles to choose from, as well as a wide range of gift items for Christmas and other special occasions. In store tasting events will also be a regular occurrence and staff will be on hand to provide friendly helpful advice.

Co-Owners Matt and Darren have worked in the drinks industry for 10 years before using their passion and experience to open Ginspired, showcasing a fantastic collection of gin, rum, whisky, vodka, bourbon, liqueurs, mead, cognac and more.

Co-Owner Matt said: “Our name is taken from Chesterfield’s famous Crooked Spire and our passion for Gin. We hope Ginspired will compliment and support the already vibrant beer and gin scene, with some great pubs, bars and producers well established in Chesterfield.”

He added: “We strongly believe in supporting small independent local businesses and our primary focus will be on products from Derbyshire and the surrounding area where possible.”

Ginspired is now open within Chesterfield’s Market Hall.

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

Former Chesterfield magistrates court sold for residential conversion

The Grade II-listed former magistrates court in Chesterfield has been sold for residential conversion following a deal by Innes England.

ARC Vantage, who specialise in residential conversion and are experienced in refurbishing listed buildings, bought Knightsbridge Court for an undisclosed sum.

Knightsbridge Court is centrally located in the town between Rose Hill and West Bars. Set within 1.1 acres, it has been granted planning permission for 30 apartments over three floors.

Designed by Professor Joseph Stanley Allen, a renowned architect, planner and academic, the property was completed in 1956 and was listed in 1998. It was used as Chesterfield’s Magistrates Court until the court moved to a new building on Tapton Lane.

Chris Wright, Associate Director at Innes England, said: “Knightsbridge Court has been empty for a number of years and had sadly become the target for vandalism and fallen into disrepair.”

“This deal will see the building being brought back into use and bring employment opportunities for local people during the construction.”

“The conversion will not only deliver much-needed housing to Chesterfield but also safeguard the future of this landmark building.”

Adam Cavell, Director at ARC Vantage Limited, said: “This is an exciting project for ARC Vantage. As developers, we are highly motivated in the regeneration and restoration of Listed Buildings and relishing the opportunity to restore this building to its former glory.”

“We also understand the need for high quality, inner city housing stock. It is our aim to deliver premium city living to the market next year.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home, Manufacturing

New business moves to Markham Vale

Markham Vale partners Derbyshire County Council and HBD (Henry Boot Developments) are pleased to report that another company is moving to the flagship regeneration site.

RB1 Ltd have moved in to Unit 3 Waterloo Court in order to meet their growing business needs. The company comprises a team of specialist electrical engineers with a strong background in the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) industry who also have a passion for all things engineering related.

The company, who are ISO9001 accredited, design and manufacture AC and DC switchgear specifically for the UPS industry. By utilising 3D and electrical CAD design tools along with their in-house Plasma and Laser CNC machinery they can design and build first class high quality engineered solutions to meet specific solutions. They also have a range of standard products to meet all UPS needs.

The company are currently fitting out their new premises with the aim of being fully operational in early 2020.

Markham Vale is a 200-acre business park with direct access to the M1 motorway via a dedicated junction, J29a. This prime development site offers build-to-suit units from 2,500 up to 300,000 sq. ft. for industrial, warehouse, hotel, office or retail builds.

2018 saw 1,600 jobs maintained at the development, along with 164,500 sq. ft. secured of new commercial space for three global businesses; Protec International, Sterigenics and Grangers International.

Read more about Markham Vale and the opportunities available here.

Markham Vale

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

The Lily Pad celebrates refurbishment and extended Friday night opening hours

The Lily Pad Café and Restaurant, located on Soresby Street in Chesterfield, are celebrating an extensive refurbishment and exciting changes to their menu. They welcomed customers to enjoy the new Friday night dinner menu last week.

The refurbishment brings a new look, a new menu and new opening hours to this popular town-centre eatery which recently won the accolade of the Café / Tea Room of the Year at the Chesterfield Food & Drink Awards 2019.

Head Chef and Manager, Ryan Purrington said: “It is wonderful to welcome our customers back through our doors and we are really pleased to be able to offer our new dinner menu on a Friday evening too. I hope everyone is as impressed with our new look as we are.”

“Our new menu includes some of the old favourites which we know people love us for, but we’ve also developed the menu to include some exciting new additions. We have a much more extensive selection for vegetarians and vegans too. There are a whole host of new features and food and drinks specials for people to try which we are really excited about.”

The Chesterfield College Group own the business and has invested in the refurbishment process. They work with the dedicated front of house and kitchen team at the Lily Pad to help them develop the business.

Jo Kershaw, Director of Business and Professional Services at Chesterfield College said: “The Lily Pad not only offers local diners an amazing choice of menu options, it also has a unique atmosphere which comes from the passion of the team. They work tirelessly to keep their customers happy. When we invested in this business we saw how the passion of this relatively young team created a popular eatery and how apprentices are supported to grow into key roles in the organisation.”

“We also saw the potential to support this town-centre business in its development. It has been a pleasure working with Ryan and his team over the last few months. I hope both new and existing customers will be as pleased with the results of the refurbishment as we are.”

The Lily Pad is now open for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Sunday (closed all day Wednesdays) as well as now serving evening meals on Friday evenings.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Christmas, Development, Home, Leisure, Visiting