Development

Leading Chesterfield SMEs boost workforce skills – for free

Three prominent Chesterfield businesses are upskilling their management teams with free training thanks to a government scheme.

The Skills Support for the Workforce Programme supports SMEs to flourish with free courses to boost workforce skills. Delivered by leading provider The Source Skills Academy, with Chesterfield business coach and author Anne Burton at the helm, the training is worth up to £600 per person.

Peak Pipe Systems, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of polyethylene pipe, jumped at the opportunity of boosting its workers’ potential. Along with sister company ControlPoint Ltd, creators of quality assurance systems, it put nine team leaders forward for accredited Team Leading and Management courses.

ControlPoint opened its doors to other businesses and hosted the workshops at its Chesterfield Trading Estate site, including local company Weightron Bilanciai, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of weighbridges and industrial weighing products, software and automation. Five team leaders from Sheepbridge-based MSK Ingredients are also upskilling.

Sammy Hodgkiss, Service Team Leader at Weightron Bilanciai, said: “I want to progress to management at Weightron and this course will improve my leadership skills and give clarity on how to deal with HR issues should they arise.”

Laura Chapman (right), HR Manager at Peak Pipe Systems, commented: “We didn’t know there was free government funding to help us develop our employees until we heard about Skills Support for the Workforce from The Source. We realised it was a fantastic opportunity.”

“Investing in our people is a priority but we have to keep an eye on our budgets. A number of talented staff across our shop floor, offices and warehouse had been promoted to team leaders but had not received managerial training. SSW has enabled us to support them in their roles.”

“The employee’s voice is very important to us. Upskilling our managers, enables them to provide better support to their staff.”

Laura added: “As Chesterfield Champions, we were delighted to support other local businesses by hosting the training.”

Chesterfield has been designated a priority area in the Sheffield City Region’s delivery of the Skills Support for the Workforce Programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Dale Robinson, Business Development Director at The Source, said: “We are helping Chesterfield SMEs grow by enabling them to develop their people at no cost.”

“Our SSW courses support the Sheffield City Region LEP’s priority to boost the local economy and will be running regularly in different parts of the region.”

Companies who want to develop staff management skills can contact The Source’s business development officer at vernon.tolson@thesourceacademy.co.uk

 

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

Chesterfield Waterside bridge nominated for national award

The Lavers Bridge project at the £320 million Chesterfield Waterside scheme, has been nominated for a national award which recognises the contribution it has made to bringing forward the development of new homes on the site.

The 30-metre steel bridge, which crosses the River Rother and connects Brimington Road to the new Avant Homes development at Waterside Quarter, has been shortlisted in the Smeaton Award category at the annual Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Yorkshire and Humber Awards.

Dronfield-based Henry Boot Construction put the project forward for the prestigious awards which showcase the collective and individual achievements of civil engineers and civil engineering.

The Lavers Bridge is one of nine projects shortlisted in the Smeaton Award category, which is open to projects costing between £500,000 and £5million. The winner of the award will be announced on Friday 6 March 2020 at Sheffield City Hall.

The new vehicular and pedestrian bridge was designed by HSP Consulting Engineers Limited and constructed and installed by Henry Boot Construction Limited last year. It replaced an existing bridge.

The completion of the bridge will now enable 300 family homes to be delivered, the first of which are already underway at the Avant Homes’ Waterside Quarter development on the site.

Henry Boot and HSP Consulting Engineers brought innovative thinking to the project, choosing to manufacture much of the new bridge off-site in order to maintain access to site during its construction phase.

Chesterfield Borough Council granted planning permission to create the new access bridge and road to The Park area of Chesterfield Waterside in 2018. The granting of permission enabled developer Bolsterstone Group Plc to progress proposals to develop new homes. Avant Homes subsequently announced it would construct 173 new two, three and four bedroom houses in the Waterside Quarter neighbourhood. Construction of the new homes is now under way and the homes went on sale last month,

Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc commented on the importance of the bridge: “I am delighted that both Henry Boot Construction and HSP Consulting Engineers are receiving recognition for the impact the Laver Bridge project has made at Chesterfield Waterside. The bridge was essential to enable us to continue developing The Park neighbourhood and bring forward hundreds of new homes.”

Ian Gresser, Operations Manager, Henry Boot Construction, commented: “With so many worthy schemes out there, it is great news Lavers Bridge has been shortlisted for the Smeaton Award.”

To learn more about the Chesterfield Waterside development and the investment opportunities available

Chesterfield Waterside bridge nominated for national award

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

Businesses urged to work with education providers to avoid future skills disconnect

Schools and education providers have been urged to support young people into future high skills jobs in North Derbyshire to ensure the area reaches its economic potential.

The call to action came at the fourth annual Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, the D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub, and Destination Chesterfield.

Speaking at the conference Mark Cottingham (below), Principal of Shirebrook Academy and part of the newly established North Derbyshire Careers Hub, appealed to businesses and employers to get involved with schools in order to get future school leavers work ready.

He said: “Education is more than passing exams. Qualifications are not enough. We need to open the eyes of young people beyond school. The more links we can have with businesses and employers then the better work we can do with young people to get them ready for employment.”

“There is nothing better than a workplace visit and work experience to open the eyes of a young person to the reality of the world of work. They have a real impact on young people and they often give them a determination and focus to achieve their ambitions.”

The conference brought together more than 100 representatives from North Derbyshire’s business community and education sector ahead of the creation of thousands of jobs in the area over the next five years.

Speaking at the conference Rachel Quinn, Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP echoed Mr Cottingham, saying: “There is a skills mismatch which we have to address immediately by encouraging the building of strategic partnerships between employers, young people, schools and colleges.”

“Skills are one of the most important factors in determining economic outcomes for people and places. Currently North Derbyshire is creating four times as many jobs as the working age population creating a gap in prosperity due to falling productivity levels.”

The annual conference, which was held at Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa, was headlined by television personality Baasit Siddiqui, Managing Director of Siddiqui Education, a Derby-based company which uses his public profile, 10 years teaching experience and the positive reputation of the Siddiquis from Gogglebox to help motivate and inspire school children.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Siddiqui praised Chesterfield’s approach to collaborative working but urged that it should be a lifelong strategy in individuals’ lives if people are to achieve their potential.

He said: “Research has shown that children in receipt of free school meals or the Pupil Premium are typically 18 months behind their peers academically. Collaboration, amongst other strategies, can help bridge the attainment gap between children in receipt of free school meals and Pupil Premium and their peers by five months.”

“Social mobility does not start and stop in school; it starts from birth and continues throughout life. Unless there is collaboration between schools and local businesses to inspire people at all ages and levels, then there is the possibility of a disconnect in skills and disadvantaged young people will not benefit from those jobs.”

Chesterfield currently has one of the highest rates of students on free school meals in Derbyshire. Currently there is a 4% growth in skilled jobs in Chesterfield which employers are struggling to fill, particularly in the engineering and communications sectors.

That figure is set to grow further as multimillion-pound PEAK, Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway and Staveley Works developments start to come out of the ground.

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council commented: “Chesterfield is experiencing record levels of investment and can rightly call itself a billion-pound town. Skills are at the heart of a successful economy, which is why we must develop the skills of local people to ensure they can access the many opportunities that are being created now and over the next five years in Chesterfield and the surrounding area. Already considerable collaboration and effort is taking place across North Derbyshire to ensure future skills meet the demand.”

Mr Cottingham added: “The economy needs informed, enthused young people and it’s the role of educationalists to ensure this happens and we can only do this by establishing strategic partnerships with employers. It is these partnerships that will enable pupils to understand how academic concepts can be applied to real jobs.”

With more than 14,000 students in North Derbyshire set to gain their GCSE and A level qualifications in the next five years, education and business leaders are working together to  develop solutions that will ensure a strong pipeline of talent is being developed in order to provide a future workforce with the skills required by employers.

Chesterfield businesses that wish to provide work experience or workplace visit opportunities, recruit apprentices or upskill existing employees, are encouraged to get in touch with Emily Williams, Senior Economic Development Officer at Chesterfield Borough Council. For more information please email Emily.Williams@Chesterfield.gov.uk or call 01246 345254.

Too see more images from the event, please click here.

Click here to find out more about Chesterfield being an Apprentice Town

The Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference took place on Wednesday 26th February 2020

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

Vicar Lane partners with Derbyshire Adult Community Education in employer challenge for young people

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre is working with Derbyshire Adult Community Education (DACES), part of Derbyshire County Council, to run education programmes for young adults in Chesterfield.

The learners attend Full Time Study Programmes in Shirebrook and Clay Cross; the programmes are based around employment and enterprise and are aimed at young people aged 16-19 to help them gain the skills they need for the world of work.

Vicar Lane is working with organisers on an ‘Employer Challenge’ within the programme, whereby the learners are set a task within a real-life employment environment. Participants are required to visit the centre to familiarise themselves with the task at hand, meet the team and gather as much information as possible, before going away to work on their ideas. They then have to present their proposed solution back to the employer at the end of the programme.

On Wednesday 18th March and 29th April respectively, learners from Shirebrook and Clay Cross will visit Vicar Lane between 10:30am and 12:30pm. They’ll learn about the shopping centre and how it works from day to day, before being given an overview of the project, which will be a creative task.

Proposals will be presented by the learners, back to the centre management team on Wednesday 1st April and Wednesday 13th May. Their plans will be compared to the centre’s own thoughts to see how they align.

The work that young people complete during this task, forms part of their City and Guilds Level 1 and Level 2 Extended Certificate in Employability qualification which will prove beneficial to these young people in their quest for employment.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to once again be working with a team of young people from the Chesterfield community to help improve their career prospects. The initiative last year generated some really exciting results so we are looking forward to seeing what the latest group of learners come up with.”

Click here to find out more about Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

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

Derbyshire County Council launch survey for armed forces community

A survey carried out by the University of Derby, on behalf of Derbyshire County Council, is aiming to find out more about the county’s armed forces community.

The research sets out to identify the size and make-up of Derbyshire’s armed forces community to help inform and improve local services for individuals and families who are connected to the British armed forces.

The survey is open to people aged 18 and over who live in Derbyshire and is completely anonymous. It is open now with a closing date of 3 April 2020.

Derbyshire County Council Armed Forces Champion Councillor Neil Atkin, said: “The council is committed to helping to make sure no member of the armed forces community in Derbyshire faces a disadvantage when it comes to public services.”

“Last year we re-signed our Armed Forces Covenant alongside all Derbyshire’s district and borough council’s to reaffirm our commitment to support military personnel with day-to-day life.”

Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis, added: “If you are part of Derbyshire’s armed forces community we’d really like to hear from you. We want to reach as many people as possible.”

“Research is important to help local authorities, health and social care services to meet the needs of the armed forces community so they are treated with fairness, compassion and respect.”

Derbyshire County Council want to hear from:

  • regular currently serving personnel from the armed forces
  • volunteer and regular reservists
  • veterans
  • families of regular, reservist and veterans
  • the bereaved – who are family members of service personnel and veterans who have died whether that death is connected to their service or not

Research is being externally funded from a grant provided by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund and Derbyshire County Council has commissioned Derby University to conduct the research.

The covenant fund gives grants to community projects that are mutually beneficial to the armed forces community and the civilian community.

Click here to take part in the survey (opens in new tab)

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

Double celebration for local golf professional Fame Tate

Alongside celebrating the first anniversary of owning Stanedge Golf Club, Derbyshire golf professional Fame Tate has named PGA Midlands Professional of the Year.

The award completes a memorable year for the former Ladies European Tour player, which began when she rescued the club near Chesterfield from closure.

Since taking ownership of Stanedge Golf Club, Fame has breathed new life into the club, taking the membership from zero to over 140, overseeing the renovation of the facilities and upgrading the course, as well as picking up many awards along the way.

Fame marked the completion of her training to become a PGA Professional by being named the Association’s Female Assistant of the Year and won the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ category in the English Women’s Awards (North).

Tate was also named as one of Derbyshire’s Junior County Golf Coaches for 2019, an accolade reflected by her being demanded as a coach at Stanedge and at some of golf’s most prestigious events.

She has introduced coaching clinics for youngsters, women and beginners at Stanedge Golf Club and was on duty in the Swingzone during the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn and the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

Reflecting on what has been a hectic year, Tate said: “It’s been a whirlwind but a very fulfilling one.”

“The 12 months have flown by and there have been so many highlights both at the club and away from it.”

“My initial projection for the club was quite conservative, so what has been achieved there has exceeded my expectations.”

“And winning awards and coaching at the Women’s Open and Solheim Cup have made it an unforgettable year.”

“Receiving the PGA Midlands Professional of the Year award in the same week that we celebrated the first anniversary of buying Stanedge was the perfect way to end it.”

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

Tenth Celebrate Chesterfield Conference to update on Talgo Head Office and next decade of investment

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK Ltd, the Spanish train manufacturer that recently established its UK head office in Chesterfield, will reveal his company’s aspirations for the town at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield event.

Over 250 people are expected to attend the free event and exhibition, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and is taking place on Wednesday 11 March at the Winding Wheel Theatre.

Mr Veitch (far right) is one of number of key speakers at the free event. He will also be joined by Elizabeth Fagan CBE – Chair of D2N2 LEP, Dr. Paula Holt – Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean at the University of Derby and Huw Bowen – Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council.

Sponsored by the University of Derby, Celebrate Chesterfield is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area.

The event is the tenth conference organised by Destination Chesterfield, the town’s inward investment marketing campaign, which is currently working with 180 local businesses, known as Chesterfield Champions, to raise the profile of the town.

Since the launch of Destination Chesterfield, the town has seen significant investment, with more than a billion pounds of investment currently underway. At the conference, delegates will hear updates on key development sites including Northern Gateway, Chesterfield Waterside, The Glass Yard and PEAK.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “Celebrate Chesterfield 2020 is particularly significant, not least it recognises the tenth anniversary of Destination Chesterfield, but it is an opportunity to look back over the last decade and see all that the town has achieved in terms of investment.”

“It is something we all should be proud of given the climate of political and economic uncertainty, which has surrounded the town since Destination Chesterfield was established in 2010. A positive mindset coupled with a collaborative approach across the public and private sector has led to substantial investment and development in the Chesterfield. We have created an excellent foundation for further growth and investment.”

In addition to establishing a Head Office, Talgo also has ambitions to develop an ‘Innovation Centre’, co-located with Barrow Hill Roundhouse. In addition to HS2, Talgo is central to Chesterfield’s ambition to become a hub for rail technology and development.

At the event Mr Bowen will update delegates on the Council’s plans for the train station following the announcement that Chesterfield will get an HS2 stop.

Paula Holt, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Derby, added: “We are delighted to be working with Destination Chesterfield and supporting the Celebrate Chesterfield event again this year.”

“As Derbyshire’s only university, we look to use our academic expertise, research and innovation to foster talent and create impactful partnerships with businesses.”

“The Celebrate Chesterfield event provides a great opportunity for us to have valuable conversations that enable us to understand more about the challenges local businesses face. Our priority remains to understand and effectively service the needs of businesses and to create opportunities for individuals, employers and communities to develop and flourish.”

Bridge Help, Central Technology and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, are also supporting the breakfast event as associate sponsors.

Anthony Clitheroe, Director at HBD, development partner for the Markham Vale site commented: “The past 10 years at Markham Vale has seen a transformation of this site. Alongside our partnership with Derbyshire County Council, we are proud of the changes, both locally and further afield, this development has made to the region.

“The scheme has seen continued growth as several developments completed towards the end of last year. We’re now looking forward to other opportunities that will see us bring some fantastic new occupiers to the Markham Vale site.”

Ian Snow, Managing Director at Central Technology said: “Supporting Destination Chesterfield is of great importance to us here at Central Technology. This event has always been the perfect place to meet and work with like-minded organisations and helps put Chesterfield on the map as a great location to both work and live.”

“To continue to provide the best IT support and Disaster Recovery Service and Solutions across all sectors of business, we work hard to actively seek local talented people. We have a comprehensive internal training and development platform to ensure continual training and improvement is maintained throughout our teams. We also have an apprenticeship programme in place, which works to build our teams from the ground up. Training and development is of paramount importance at CT, It is crucial not only for our customers but also the team here that they are able to learn, develop and achieve qualifications to reach their potential. We look forward to supporting Destination Chesterfield in 2020 and beyond.”

Chris Sellars, Chief Executive of Bridge Help added: “We are delighted to support both Destination Chesterfield and the Celebrate Chesterfield event. Commercial developments can often take a significant amount of time to come to fruition and you can overlook the progress that has been made. this event is an excellent opportunity to both recap on what has been achieved over the last 10 years and learn about forthcoming developments and investment in the town.”

Tickets for the breakfast event, which is being held from 7:30am to 11:00am, and includes an exhibition with 30 businesses, are available to book now.

To book your ticket at the event or an exhibition stand, please click here.

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

Quarterly Economic Survey will establish direction of travel for region’s businesses

2019 was another year of political and economic uncertainty for businesses across the East Midlands and the UK, characterised largely by the ongoing negotiations to leave the EU – only resolved in the final month of the year – and the snap general election of the same month.

With the UK having now left the EU, and with a Government with a strong majority in place, are businesses preparing for more certainty and less turbulence moving forward, or are challenges and outstanding questions – not least what a UK/EU trade deal might look like – resulting in caution among businesses? Importantly, what are the region’s prospects like for 2020 in terms of job creation and growth?

The East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) seeks to answer these questions, asking businesses to respond to a series of questions on different economic indicators, including sales, orders, investments, international activity, cashflow, recruitment plus many more; including a focus in this survey on the low carbon economy.

Responses to this crucial survey, and the feedback received, will be used to help shape regional and national decision making on how to best support the local business community.

The QES is part of the UK’s biggest business survey run through the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) network and polls around 10,000 businesses each quarter to monitor business trends.

Commenting on the survey launch, Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at the Chamber, said: “While for the most part 2019 generated more questions than answers, business across the East Midlands area remained relatively robust. However, in conversation with our members across the region there was definitely a sense of driving with the handbrake on, and for some the uncertainty of last year caused real problems.

“What the results of this survey will detail is how the region’s businesses have responded to the outcome of the General Election, the UK formally leaving the EU and the start of the transition period for us to agree trading arrangements leading up to the end of 2020.

“Whatever happens, there will be both challenges and opportunities – the Quarterly Economic Survey will give a sense of how businesses are responding to these as the year progresses, and a steer on the kind of support they need in order to succeed.”

The survey runs until 9 March. To take part, visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HSS8Y8D.

Click here to find out more about the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)

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

Funding boost for mining memorial project

More life-size steel figures honouring miners who lost their lives in 3 disasters at Markham Colliery are to be added to a memorial project following a £30,000 funding boost.

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

Jomast increases number of ground floor units at Elder Way

With strong interest in the ground floor units at Elder Way, Jomast has announced that it has increased the number of available units from seven to eight.

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast explained; “The forthcoming innovation centre at Holywell Cross car park in addition to the new Premier Inn Hotel and Saltergate car park are all positive factors for prospective tenants at Elder Way. Together they are helping drive interest both locally and from further afield in the units. In response to market demand we have increased the number of ground floor units from seven to eight and we are in advanced discussions with a number of tenants for the units.”

The proposed leisure quarter at Elder Way embraces the ‘experience economy’ that has been hailed as the future for the UK’s town centres with outlets like gyms, golf ranges, art galleries, market stalls and places to eat and drink all being part of the experience.

It is an approach, combined with having a mix of chain and independent retailers on its high street, that Chesterfield has long adopted and why it is consistently ranked as a top town for having low shop vacancy levels.

Chesterfield has a vacancy rate of just 7.63 per cent compared to a national average of 12.2 per cent.

In addition to the 92-bed Premier Inn which opened on the upper two floors of Elder Way last year, the building now has plans for a gym in the basement and eight food and drink outlets at street level.

This experiential mix of businesses, combined with Chesterfield’s regular events, open air market and chain and independent retailers, is on trend and key to driving increased footfall to the town centre; and Chesterfield is getting it right according to the government’s High Streets Task Force.

Chesterfield’s 816-year old market town heritage is helping define its future. The market remains an important part of Chesterfield and it has evolved in recent years to deliver the immersive experience which is demanded by today’s visitors.

Alongside its regular market on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Chesterfield hosts popular Flea, Artisan and Vegan Knights markets and popular events like Motor Fest, the 1940s and Medieval markets, along with the Chesterfield Food and Grooves Festival, to name but a few.

These events are helping attract footfall to the town centre and ensuring that Chesterfield not only survives but thrives. It’s an approach endorsed by industry experts.

In a Panorama documentary on the UK’s High Streets, Professor Cathy Parke, co-chair of the Institute of Place Management (IPM) and who helps lead the High Streets Task Force, said: “Retail has only ever been a part of the functions of a town and city. In the 1980s and 90s, we got a little bit fixated on retail and we just thought that the whole town and the whole city was all about retail.”

To survive and thrive, High Streets need to adapt. But before they do, according to Professor Parker, “places need to understand their function and the things that draw people into the town centres”.

To reinvigorate them, we need what you might call a Mars bar approach; building town centres which aren’t just about buying stuff, but places you can “work, rest and play”.

Elder Way provides the ultimate ‘work, rest and play’ venue which has been reflected in the strong interest shown in the units and led to Jomast revising upwards the number of available units at street level.

Mark added: “There has been considerable interest from businesses in Elder Way since we acquired the former Co-op department store building and converted it into leisure space. From the outset our vision for Elder Way was to transform it into a new food and drink quarter for the town and it is a vision which people are buying into.”

The iconic Elder Way building has been sympathetically developed into eight fully accessible, modern street level units. With glazed frontages and external seating, available units range in size from 1,420 sq ft to 4,219 sq ft. Each unit can be made bespoke and fitted out to your own individual requirements.

If you want to be part of Chesterfield’s thriving town centre, get in touch with our team now to discover what Elder Way can offer you.

For more details about the forthcoming available units and business space at Elder Way, please contact Jomast Developments on 01642 666942.

Elder Way Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home

HS2 to proceed and bring economic benefits to Chesterfield

The Government announced today (11th February) it will proceed with HS2 following recommendations from the independent Oakervee Review.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This is great news for Chesterfield. HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity for the town and borough. The new high-speed train line will have a transformative effect on our economy, with the prospect of 10,200 new jobs, 4,700 new homes and an annual uplift of £270 million in expenditure on local goods and services.

“HS2 will afford the one million people that currently live within 30 minutes’ drive of Chesterfield railway station improved rail connectivity to the north and south and establish Chesterfield as the international gateway to the world-famous Peak District national park.

“Chesterfield is ready for HS2. We are currently finalising the HS2 Chesterfield Station Masterplan ahead of a public consultation exercise this summer and have been making the case for the new HS2 line maintenance depot, which will bring hundreds of new high-quality engineering jobs to Staveley, to also be used as a base for construction of the new line.

“I am also delighted that over 800 primary and secondary school children in Chesterfield and north Derbyshire have already had the opportunity to engage in our “HS2 and You” programme. With the billions of pounds of investment now planned for the rail industry there will be plenty of great job opportunities for future generations”.

“There is no limit to the council’s ambition to make Chesterfield a thriving borough and to improve the quality of life for local people. The arrival of HS2 is critical to our future.”

Find out more: HS2 Chesterfield

Today’s announcement comes on the back of Talgo’s recent decision to establish its UK Headquarters at Barrow Hill Roundhouse. The Spanish train manufacturer has also confirmed its commitment to develop a Rail Innovation and Training Centre in Chesterfield.

The Innovation Centre, which is expected to open in 2022, will include a suite of specialist research and development laboratories, commercial office and workshop space, and training facilities that will provide a complete education pathway from school through to university level study. The Innovation Centre will also act as a hub for Talgo to engage with local companies that supply parts to the rail industry.

Talgo launch at Barrow Hill

Related story: Very high-speed rail comes to Chesterfield

Whilst the Government has given the go ahead to the construction of the whole line, the announcement also references an intention to carry out a further review of the second phase of HS2, which includes the eastern leg from Birmingham to Leeds.

Cllr Tricia Gilby, continued: “It is critical that the delivery schedule for HS2 Phase 2b is not delayed further and there must be no downgrading of the line through the East Midlands to reduce costs.

“I will therefore be working closely with East Midlands’ Leaders from both the public and private sectors to ensure that this doesn’t happen. We must provide certainty to investors, businesses and local communities.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber*, said: “

The vast potential of HS2 will only be realised if implemented in its entirety. While it is of course essential to keep an eye on costs, failure to deliver the Eastern Leg would undermine the whole project and greatly limit its return on investment; putting businesses here in the region at a distinct disadvantage in the process.”

Responding to news Midlands Connect Chairman Sir John Peace said:

“A further review of HS2 Phase 2b is an opportunity to make sure that HS2 is properly integrated with Midlands Engine Rail, and that other rail improvements are brought forward before the HS2 East Midlands Hub station at Toton is operational.

“It is important, however, that the Phase 2b hybrid Bill receives Royal Assent in this Parliament to provide certainty to investors, businesses and local communities. A review must also commit to constructing Phase 2b from the West Midlands to the East Midlands first, and must not consider downgrading lines north of Birmingham to cut costs. The Midlands must not be short changed with a two-tier HS2 network.

“Midlands Connect will continue to work closely with HS2 Ltd, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and local authorities to develop a plan that maximises the benefits of HS2, including improved HS2 connectivity for Chesterfield and the early delivery of the planned HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot at Staveley.

“The Midlands has a golden opportunity to make the most of the huge benefits HS2 will bring to our communities. It is time to come together to deliver the infrastructure revolution the region desperately needs.”

Chesterfield Railway Station at Night

 

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