Development

Chamber reacts to Government’s HS2 delay announcement

Reacting to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ announcement that final completion of the northern section of the high-speed rail network would likely be delayed from 2033 to 2035 at the earliest, Scott Knowles, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said:

“The news of potential delays to HS2, specifically Phase 2b which will have the greatest effect on us here in the East Midlands, needs to be placed in context with the bigger picture.

“HS2 is a huge, transformational infrastructure project which has the enormous potential to benefit our region, and the country, for generations to come. While we want HS2 to be operational as soon as possible, the key focus is that we get it right.

“What is of greater concern is that we put to bed the ‘will it or won’t it happen’ speculation so that we can focus on getting HS2 built – regardless of whether it comes to fruition in 2033, 2035 or later.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebalance our country’s economy and demonstrate both internally and to the outside world that we are a world class country in which to do business, supported by world class infrastructure.

“What is certain is that when people look back on a fully-functioning HS2 in the years to come, the core discussion will centre on the contribution it has made to this country, not the fact that completion was delayed by a few years.”

Chesterfield is set to benefit from an HS2 Station and an infrastructure maintenance depot in the borough, bringing opportunities for the town from creating new jobs to improving skills and from developing new homes and attracting new business investment as well as improving transport infrastructure, rail connectivity and journey times.

HS2 will complement existing rail services and open up regeneration opportunities, enhancing Chesterfield’s role as both a destination and a gateway to surrounding areas, including the Peak District National Park.

The prospect of a HS2 connection at Chesterfield Station is already driving major regeneration of the town centre and adjacent industrial areas. The potential benefits of HS2 for the Chesterfield area include:

  • Better connectivity for the 1 million plus people already living within 30 minutes of the station;
  • 4,740 new homes and 10,220 new jobs;
  • £270m net additional GVA; and 176 ha of brownfield land brought back into use.

HS2 Chesterfield Station

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

£79 million requested from government to deliver Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route

Derbyshire County Council’s Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route plans have been included in a priority list of road schemes for government funding by Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect, with a request for £79 million to deliver it.

The scheme is amongst 11 in the Midlands submitted to the Department for Transport, as part of a £3.5 billion fund available for local road improvements from 2020-2025.

The Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route will create a new 5.7km single carriageway connecting the A619 north of Chesterfield town centre to the A6192 and A619 at Staveley. It offers an alternative to the often congested A619, supporting new jobs and homes, providing new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, and making five regular bus services that use the existing A619 more reliable.

Midlands Connect was empowered by the Department for Transport (DfT) to work with the 22 councils in its partnership to identify priority schemes to improve local roads in the region. The fund covers upgrades to the Major Road Network (MRN), a new category of the busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads, and Large Local Majors (LLM) schemes, which focus on bigger upgrades to local roads and includes the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route.

Following detailed consultation and a rigorous assessment, Midlands Connect has submitted 11 schemes to the DfT for consideration, in the East Midlands and West Midlands.

The total cost of the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route is estimated at £93 million, including local contributions of £14 million. If successful, Derbyshire County Council would deliver the physical infrastructure required.

The total Midlands-wide funding request to the government is £596 million, with an additional £143 million to be funded locally.

Simon Statham, Midlands Connect’s head of technical programmes, said: “North Derbyshire has huge regeneration plans, including 5,700 jobs alone in the Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor Area Action Plan. This new route is critical to these developments, not to mention the proposed HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley, another huge opportunity to create jobs.

“We are confident that we have provided all of the evidence the government needs to fund all 11 of our priority schemes in full, and we expect to be celebrating a £600 million investment in to the region to help our local authority partners get on and deliver this transformational programme of upgrades.”

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways said: “Unlocking economic growth and access to economic opportunities is a key priority for us and getting the right infrastructure in place is key to its delivery.

“This scheme would be a huge step towards major regeneration in the area, helping to bring much-needed jobs and reduce congestion on the existing road network which would further support local businesses to thrive in Derbyshire.”

Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, said: “I am urging the government to back this investment, which will support new homes and jobs at major development sites, including the HS2 Infrastructure and Maintenance Depot at Staveley. It will make a huge difference to the quality of life and economic prospects of the local community.

“This much-needed investment will reduce congestion on the A619 and make sure we have a resilient alternative to the M1 during incidents and events. I will continue to work with Midlands Connect to support the scheme’s delivery.”

Midlands Connect is encouraging the government to allocate funding for shortlisted schemes as soon as possible to ensure their smooth delivery.

Read the Major Road Network priority scheme submission to the Department for Transport summary report here.

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

Shorts and Dawson Radford part of team advising on sale of Freight Despatch Worldwide

Shorts, alongside fellow Chesterfield Champions Dawson Radford Solicitors and other financial services companies, acted as advisors, legal representatives and funders, to Steve Bowling and Derek Libberton on the purchase of Sheffield based Freight Despatch Worldwide (FDW) Limited.

International Freight Forwarding Specialists FDW was established in 2004, by John Collumbine who had over 30 years’ commercial and forwarding experience. Over the last 15 years, the company has forged close relationships with UK & Overseas Carriers and freight partners throughout the world.

Martin Dean, Corporate Finance Executive at Shorts comments: “We are delighted to have advised Steve and Derek on the successful completion of this transaction, and we look forward to seeing the continuing success of the business under new ownership.”

Joanna Dawson, Solicitor acting on behalf of the purchasers said: “Derek and Steve have a great opportunity to grow the business established by John, and I am pleased that we have been able to support them with that. I look forward to seeing their progress as the company develops”.

John Collumbine said “When I made the decision to sell, I was extremely happy that Derek and Steve wanted to take over running the business.  As part of the existing senior management team, I know that FDW is in safe hands with them and I am very much looking forward to watching them continue to grow and succeed.”

Steve Bowling and Derek Libberton added “As far as existing clients are concerned it will be business as usual and we are very excited for the next phase of what promises to be an exciting period for the company. We are very much looking forward and are ready for the challenges ahead.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Village of luxury homes begins to take shape near Chesterfield

This computer-generated image offers a tantalising glimpse of the unique new village being created at a luxury housing development in Derbyshire.

Jones Homes is building a superior collection of three, four and five-bedroom properties at Van Dyk Village, a landmark project taking shape near Clowne, off the A619 between Chesterfield and Worksop.

The development will eventually comprise a total of 52 homes with a large area of public open space.

More than 1,000 people had registered their interest in the homes before the development opened, taking turns to visit and check on the progress of the new village, which has been designed to appear as though it has grown organically over a period of decades.

The first homes at Van Dyk Village are now available for sale and its first residents are likely to move into their homes later this year.

Jayne Swift, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response to the launch of Van Dyk Village. It is a fascinating project which has taken years to plan to ensure every detail is correct.

“We are building a wide variety of mews, semi-detached and detached homes. These will range from three-bedroom properties to a one-off, five-bedroom manor house, which will form a focal point of the village.

“Our visitors are fascinated to see how the plans have evolved and to find out more information about the homes. We are looking forward to opening a show home later this year and to welcoming more people to Van Dyk Village to showcase our vision.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in the homes at Van Dyk Village, and five of these superb homes have already been snapped up by buyers, so I would encourage anyone interested in moving to this highly sought after development to contact our sales team as soon as possible to find out more.”

Van Dyk Village was previously home to a garden centre which had been closed for some years. The land belonged to the owners of the Van Dyk Hotel, located opposite Van Dyk Village on the A619. The sale of the land is helping to fund the expansion of the hotel, which plays an important role in the local ecology.

Before work could begin at Van Dyk Village an extensive archaeological dig took place. It uncovered evidence of people making their homes at the site around 4,000 years ago.

A selection of five-bedroom homes are currently available at Van Dyk Village, with pre-show home prices starting at £595,995.

A computer-generated image of the Van Dyk Village development near Clowne

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Visiting

Phase 2 of Clay Cross business park reaches a successful practical completion

Phase 2 of Railway View Business Park in Clay Cross has recently reached practical completion with the speculative development of 3 new industrial units.

Unit 3 Railway View has been let to Edie Fabworx Limited providing a new unit for the local metalworks business and Unit 5a has been let to C&C Vehicles services for a new commercial vehicle accident repair centre in Clay Cross. Unit 5b is currently under offer and is likely to complete in the following months. Unit 4 has a high level of interest, however remains the only available unit on the site (pictured).

Chris Proctor from FHP Property Consultants commented: “Railway View Business Park has been a highly successful scheme so far and is a testament to both the high-quality specification being delivered and the practical approach of Roe Developments with negotiations and securing suitable tenants and purchasers on the site.”

“We are in deep discussions with an occupier to take Phase 3 of the development which offers a total remaining site area of 37,000ft² and we hope to be on site with the development of this unit by Q3/Q4 of 2019”.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Planning application submitted for Activity Centre

A planning application has been submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council to build an Activity Centre at Peak Resort.

The indoor activity centre will be built at PEAK in Chesterfield and represents the beginning of the phase one delivery of the resort.

The application which has been submitted for consideration by the council is for an indoor activity centre including zip lines, climbing walls, caving, ninja course, trampolining, rope courses, fun walls, adventure golf and e-karts, based at PEAK, Sheffield Road, Unstone, Chesterfield.

PEAK plans to be an integrated leisure, health, sport and education destination on the edge of the Peak District National Park; set on the 300-acre Birchall Estate in Chesterfield.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The council has worked closely with the developer of PEAK for a number of years and is pleased to receive the planning application for the activity centre which if approved will enable the first element of the PEAK resort to be delivered on the site.

“If successful it is anticipated that the centre will create 100 jobs in Chesterfield with more employment expected as the remainder of the PEAK resort development comes forward.”

Developers of the PEAK site are planning a phased development, with phase one costing in the region of £100m and representing approximately one third of the total outline planning permission.

Attractions in phase one are hoped to include:  – an indoor adventure activity centre; a lake and amphitheatre; gateway building and travel hub; hotels, covered events space, multi discipline cycling trails and car and coach parking.

Works previously completed on site, thanks to a £2.8 million Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund grant, saw a new roundabout created with access directly connecting the site with the A61 Dronfield bypass.

New multi-user greenways have been formed to link the resort with cycling, horse riding and walking routes in the Peak District National Park, Chesterfield, Sheffield and the countryside in between.

Peter Swallow, Chair of the town’s marketing campaign, Destination Chesterfield said: “It’s fantastic to see the PEAK development continue to move forward with plans for a new indoor venture.  As well as creating new jobs for local people and supporting the town’s economy, the site will be an exciting addition to Chesterfield and will be popular with residents and visitors alike.

“Destination Chesterfield has promoted the progress of the PEAK development since its announcement and looks forward to welcoming the development to the town.”

The application is likely to be heard by the planning committee in forthcoming months.

Find out more here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Manufacturing, Summer, Visiting

Last few places remain at 2019 Chesterfield Investment Summit

The final speaker line up for the 2019 Chesterfield Investment Summit has now been confirmed.

With less than 20 places remaining at the popular annual business event, which is taking place on Wednesday 11 September, people are being urged not to miss out on booking their free place.

Future investment and development opportunities in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire will be unveiled at the annual event, which is being held at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield from 8.30am – 12 noon.

With one of the 100 most influential women in technology, Polly Barnfield OBE, already leading the speaker line up at the free to attend event, delegates will also hear from a number of other key business figures at the summit.

This year, the full speaker and panellist line up includes:

  • Mark Warrilow, Skills Stakeholder Manager – Phase 2 (Skills Employment and Education) at HS2 Ltd.
  • Peter Storey, Head of Markham Vale at Derbyshire Country Council.
  • Dr. Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council.
  • Mark Jones, Head of Technical at Kier Living.
  • Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council.
  • Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Economic Partnership Board member.
  • Cllr Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Derbyshire County Council
  • Cllr Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield.

The event is organised by Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Destination Chesterfield and Marketing Derby joint partners in the EU funded Invest in D2N2 project with a focus on promoting Derbyshire both nationally and globally as the place to invest for growth and quality of life. The event is also part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Commenting on the event, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield and who will also be taking part in the question and answer panel at the event, said: “We are delighted to be able to have such great speakers at this year’s Chesterfield Investment Summit. It’s not only an opportunity to learn about the exciting investment plans for the area, but also and opportunity to ask questions and contribute to the direction of the growth and development of Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.”

To secure one of the final places at the event, please visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/chesterfield-investment-summit/

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

More support to help Derbyshire businesses prosper

Support for local businesses was at the centre of discussions when Derbyshire County Council met with rural businesses in Ashford in the Water.

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, visited Ashford Business Units to discuss how the county council could offer local firms more support and guidance to help them grow.

Local produce distributor SaucedHere.co.uk, Peak Ales microbrewery and Peak Venues, which specialises in holiday accommodation catering for large groups, praised the support currently offered by the county council and Derbyshire Economic Partnership but the group highlighted that work needs to be ongoing to raise the profile of Derbyshire and the need for larger properties for very small businesses to expand into.

Luke Osborne, Founder of SaucedHere.co.uk said: “It was a pleasure to have been visited by Tony. He took a genuine interest in our work and how it boosts the income of the 40 Derbyshire and Peak District farmers, food and drink producers and businesses we collaborate with. The support from the council has been very encouraging.”

“Our key need going forward is to spread the word about the products listed on our site and continue to grow our customer base.”

“Derbyshire and the Peak District is an unsung food capital of the UK and SaucedHere.co.uk makes it easier for customers to buy local rather than automatically reaching for a national supermarket chain. Anything the council can do to help promote local produce and how to obtain it is gratefully received.”

Councillor King said: “Driving economic growth is a vital part of our ambitious plans for the future because it’s good for business and benefits us all.”

“We know we need to think and do things differently to provide the 21st century services local people want and need – that’s what our ‘Enterprising Council’ approach is all about. So it was great to hear from businesses first-hand about what they think we can do to help them prosper.”

“Our proposals for a Festival of Derbyshire are geared towards raising the profile of our great county so it was good to hear that this is the kind of activity that local businesses such as those in the tourism and food and drink sector want us to drive forward.”

“It’s also worth reminding local people to ‘shop local’ too. Derbyshire has a lot to offer whether it’s in food and drink, tourism or manufacturing and for every £1 spent locally it generates £1.76 for the local economy.”

Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board which is supported by the county council, has developed a campaign to encourage more visits to the area by highlighting the county’s gastronomy offer.

Local brewers, producers, farmers, eateries and creators within the local food and drink industry are being showcased over the next 12 months as part of the ‘Eat, Drink, Explore’ campaign.

Work has also started to raise the profile of the county among the business community and encourage more companies to invest in the area with the launch of a new service called “Invest in Derbyshire”.

The service has been designed to support the county’s ambition to be a destination of choice for investors and businesses and it will:

  • Raise the profile of Derbyshire globally to secure investment and create new jobs, acting as a shop window for why Derbyshire should be a destination of choice for investors
  • Make it easy for investors to choose Derbyshire by providing a one-stop shop offering quality business support tailored to individual businesses’ needs ranging from help and support to choose the right site in Derbyshire to providing information on workforce skills and assisting with recruitment as well as offering guidance on financial incentives
  • Use market intelligence to target businesses in growth sectors to attract them to Derbyshire.

Derbyshire County Council are also enhancing the level of business support on offer across the county by recruiting our first dedicated business advisor. The new member of staff will support local businesses working alongside and in partnership with advisors at the D2N2 Growth Hub.

Find out more about investing in Derbyshire.

Derbyshire County Council  Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King (second in from the left) talks business support with Rob Evans from Peak Ales Microbrewery (left), Luke Osborne from SaucedHere.co.uk (centre) next to Justin Heslop from Peak Venues and Derbyshire County Council Business Development Manager, Amanda Brown.

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

Vicar Lane installs stunning backdrop of the Derbyshire Dales

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre has transformed St. James Square with a breathtaking backdrop image, which depicts an iconic vista in the Derbyshire Dales.

Vicar Lane is inviting shoppers to identify the beauty spot pictured for the chance to win a £50 shopping voucher in their social media competition. Customers wishing to participate should head to the Vicar Lane Facebook page to find out more.

Visitors to Chesterfield are encouraged to visit the Centre this summer to enjoy a variety of floral installations and the grass cows that have moo-ved in for the summer period.  All of which offer perfect Instagram-worthy photo opportunities for visitors to enjoy.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager at Vicar Lane said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate our close proximity to the Peak District with this stunning installation and the chance for our customers to win a little treat on us!”

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

Supporting Chesterfield’s growth

Read the latest blog of Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield.

August is upon us and we’re well into the summer holidays. If you’re looking to explore what our town has to offer you and your family, then this is the time to do it!

We have more festivals and events in and around the town centre than ever before. The shortlist for the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards has also been released, offering a great starting point for the very best places to eat and drink.

It’s a great way to kickstart the summer holidays with the kids. What better way to entice them off their screens than with the promise of a tasty treat followed by a day of learning, disguised as fun and intrigue?

There’s a multitude of events going on in the area – from canal cruises, treasure hunts and miniature train rides to hands on history at Bolsover Castle, science roadshows and the Chesterfield Food and Drink Festival. There is something to suit every taste (pun intended!).

As the events calendar has grown year on year, so has Chesterfield’s fortunes. I am delighted that we can, once again, turn the spotlight on the town in the annual Chesterfield Investment Summit. This year the theme is supporting communities through regeneration.

The increased footfall in the town centre and attendance at the many events is evidence that Chesterfield’s regeneration is successful.

More than £1bn of developments are on site and more are on the way. 2019 is the year that we are seeing spades in the ground on a number of much anticipated sites, like Northern Gateway, Elder Way and Chesterfield Waterside. All these sites are, in turn, creating employment opportunities.

There are now more jobs at Markham Vale that when it was a colliery. A record number of 2,236 people are currently employed at Markham Vale; that’s 200 more people than were employed at the former colliery site in its 1980s heyday. Proof that Chesterfield’s regeneration strategy is working.

And we have more success stories to look forward to. Avant Homes is to begin building 173 homes at Waterside later this year after receiving detailed planning permission. Pronto Industrial Paints Ltd have also acquired a new site that will treble their existing space.

Whether you’re a resident or business, it’s important that we come together as a community to support the town’s growth in order to safeguard our future success. Together we really do make a difference.

If you’re interested in the ongoing regeneration of Chesterfield and finding out about how you can support it and get involved, then register here to attend the Chesterfield Investment Summit which takes place on 11 September at Casa Hotel.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Leisure, Manufacturing, Summer, Visiting

D2N2 businesses to benefit from £16.74m skills training fund

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP area are urged to take advantage of a £16.74m skills training fund to upskill their workforce.

The training is delivered as part of a programme called Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW), which Serco’s Employment, Skills & Enterprise business is managing across the D2N2 region. Under the 28-month programme which launched in April, Serco will work in partnership with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide skills development that focuses on upskilling employees in key priority sectors as identified in the LEP’s strategic economic plan;

  • Transport Equipment Manufacturing
  • Life Sciences
  • Food & Drink Manufacturing
  • Visitor Economy
  • Low Carbon
  • Transport & Logistics
  • Creative & Digital Industries
  • Construction

Through SSW, eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs. Training is flexible and businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units that are directly relevant to their work. Previous SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.

Business participants will each benefit from a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or skills gaps in their workforce. Training for participant businesses could cover subjects such as IT and digital skills, leadership and management or more vocationally relevant courses.

The SSW programme in D2N2 also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.

To deliver the programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Serco has partnered with expert training organisations to offer local businesses recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses, aiming to enhance employees’ skills and increase the competitiveness of the businesses.

Rob Matts, Head of Skills Support for the Workforce at Serco, said: “I am delighted that Serco has been selected by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to manage the SSW programme in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in partnership with the LEP. We have already supported more than 20,000 learners through our SSW delivery across England with more than 7000 businesses benefitting from this important service.”

“I would urge businesses or, individuals that may be facing redundancy, to get in touch with our team and take advantage of the funded training on offer. We look forward to enabling many more businesses to take advantage of SSW training to upskill their staff and grow their businesses.”

Chris Pook, D2N2 Growth Hub Project Manager said: “Nurturing skills within the workforce is essential to help businesses thrive. Companies that we speak to often require advice and support for them to access the right skills for their business and this programme will provide meaningful training which will help support business growth and productivity improvements in the local economy. We look forward to working closely with Serco on this opportunity.”

Businesses can contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or click here for more details and to find out if they are eligible for funded training through Skills Support for the Workforce.

driving business success

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