Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone has announced plans to increase its size by almost a half including Markham Vale in Chesterfield.

The news follows extensive talks between local leaders and Government officials to negotiate the deal, which will see Zone expansions in Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield and Markham Vale, as well a new site at Doncaster-Sheffield Airport.

The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been brokering this deal with Government, which will mean that investors looking to set up in the Sheffield City Region will be able to access tax breaks across a new range of prime sites.

The existing Enterprise Zone sites totals 145 hectares, and this will add 70 hectares, which now gives the Zone a total area of 215 hectares.

The LEP has focused on attracting modern manufacturing and technology companies to the City Region by offering the opportunity to collaborate with world class manufacturers and universities in the area, as well as offering the top level of government tax incentives.

The announcement will be made today at MIPIM, where the LEP is showcasing the Enterprise Zone to an audience of 20,000 influential decision makers from the international property market.

James Newman, Chairman of Sheffield City Region LEP, who is currently at MIPIM in Cannes, said:

“I am delighted that the Government has listened to the LEP and enabled us to expand our Enterprise Zone to include additional strategic sites, including the land next to Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

“Since the launch of our Enterprise Zone in 2012, 18 new companies have located on our Enterprise Zone with 345 jobs already created on site and around 300 set to be created in the coming months.

“Businesses have been attracted to join our modern manufacturing and technology community which offers outstanding transport connectivity, a highly-skilled talent pool and the best UK Government tax incentives available.

“Now that our expansion has been confirmed, the LEP will be working closely with partners to ensure that the new sites can boast our full package Enterprise Zone benefits including simplified planning, superfast broadband and global promotion at international events.”

Local Growth Minister Kris Hopkins said:

“The Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone is creating a world class centre for modern manufacturing and technology.

“Expanding the Enterprise Zone will help to grow a community of world class businesses, which already boasts names like Rolls-Royce, Boeing and Firth Rixson and bring more investment, jobs and a boost to the Sheffield City Region economy.

“This is part of our long term economic plan to back business and enterprise right across the country, and it will help Sheffield City Region to grow stronger to build more homes and create more jobs to harness the talents of hard working local people.”

Source:Sheffield City Region

The University of Derby is delighted to announce the purchase of a Grade II listed former girls’ school in Chesterfield which will be used to support its growing presence in the town.

The acquisition of the St Helena Centre from Derbyshire County Council provides the University with an opportunity to further strengthen its work with the neighbouring Chesterfield College on Sheffield Road.

Major refurbishment would be required to bring the 2.2 acre site up to standard but, as a former school, many aspects of its layout lend themselves to further educational use.

The University could have the new centre ready by mid-2016.

It will bring new jobs to Chesterfield, business support, business incubation, nursing, engineering and real world learning to the town. The proposal has already been well received by Destination Chesterfield, which coordinates efforts to promote the town.

Hari Punchihewa, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director at the University of Derby, said: “We have been working for some time to extend our presence in the town.

“This strategic acquisition extends our options to be of service to the town of Chesterfield and to help the economic development through comprehensive business support to create jobs and bolster the higher education offer already in place there.

“The building itself is a wonderful structure which sits in a perfect location, being so close to town and the college.

“The University of Derby has proved before that it is excellent at taking special buildings and bringing them back to life. You only have to look at the Buxton Dome to realise that. It would be great to see the building returned to its original purpose for education but this is just one of the options open to the University.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Council Services, Councillor Brian Ridgway, added: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to give the University the opportunity to extend their work intoChesterfield. This is the best possible use for the St Helena Centre.

“The University will bring new jobs to the area and create opportunities for people from Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bolsover to increase their qualifications and skills.

“We’ve just announced a £14.2m investment in the Markham Vale site and having a more skilled local workforce will make coming to Derbyshire a more attractive proposition for businesses.”

The centre was built in 1911 as a school. The girls’ school closed in the 1990s and the council then used the building as offices until late 2013.

Source:University of Derby

Acting on behalf Chesterfield Waterside Partnership, a joint venture between Urbo Regeneration and Chesterfield Borough Council, HOW Planning has secured reserved matters planning approval for the first phase of the £300 million mixed use regeneration scheme in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

The site, known as Chesterfield Waterside, is made up of land within the A61 and Chesterfield Canal Corridor and the planning approval for 19 new homes marks the first element of the extensive scheme which is set to be delivered over the next few years.

Says Liz McFadyean, Senior Planning and Environmental Consultant at HOW Planning:  “This is a fantastic result which will see work get underway at the new Chesterfield Waterside site.  The overall development will open up a huge area of redundant land, transforming it into a thriving new district, helping to create new jobs, providing new housing as well as services that will help support these homes.”

Chesterfield Waterside is being delivered by specialist regeneration developer, Urbo Regeneration which is controlled by Chesterfield based Bolsterstone PLC and Arnold Laver Group and comprises an employment and residential led mixed-use regeneration scheme covering 25ha site and creating approximately 2000 jobs.

HOW carried out all planning and retail work for the initial outline planning application which was approved in March 2011

In addition to new residential, retail, office and leisure accommodation the development will include new canal link into the Chesterfield Canal will enhance the waterside environment and will be complemented by open space including a linear park and eco-park as well as high quality new public realm space.

Peter Swallow, Chairman of Chesterfield Waterside commented:  “This is a large and complex scheme and it is great to see things moving.  A lot of hard work has been put into every stage of the project and HOW has led an extensive professional team in all planning stages. This is a fantastic result and allows us to get underway with delivery phase, which is likely to be a period of 10-15 years.’

Source:Chesterfield Waterside

Sheffield City Region’s Enterprise Zone is set to receive more than £14 million to speed up the delivery of vital infrastructure for the Markham Vale logistics development.

The money will come from a £100 million ‘nuts and bolts’ fund designed to transform land at enterprise zones across the country and fast-track new jobs in key industries, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced today.

As part of the Government’s long term economic plan, 12 bids have been shortlisted from locations across the country to share the cash pot.

Markham Vale, a leading logistics and distribution park off the M1, could win up to £14.2 million.  The grant will generate a further £95.7m of private sector investment, create more than 2,100 jobs and build new access roads, around 16,720 sq m of commercial floor space, and unlock a further 33 Ha of land for development.

The £100 million set to be released by Government will fund projects such as road building, refurbishment, utility supply and land clearance to unlock previously dormant areas and turn them into prime economic sites that attract new businesses and develop local economies.

Across the country the funding for road building, refurbishment, utility supply and land clearance will lead to 3.5 million square metres of land being brought back into use and the creation of 124,000 square metres of new commercial floorspace by 2015 (over 10 football pitches).  In addition 10km of new road and 2 new bridges will be constructed, reducing congestion for residents and increasing the access to new Enterprise Zone sites for business.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said:

“Enterprise zones are at the centre of our long-term economic plans to build a stronger, more competitive business environment and a better future forBritain.

“This funding will give these areas the infrastructure they need to attract more investment, support the growth of local businesses and create up to 3000 jobs for hardworking people across the country.”

James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“The UK economy will be getting an excellent return on this investment from Government which will help to unlock more than £80 million of new business investment and over 2,000 new jobs for the Sheffield City Region.

“The Government’s decision to invest £14 million in our Enterprise Zone will be welcomed by international investors looking to set up in the Sheffield City Region. This important funding will enable us to meet unmet investor demands by making improvements to our Enterprise Zone at Markham Vale, including medium-sized business units and developing larger areas for bigger investors.

“Improvements at Markham Vale will help us to build on the success of our Enterprise Zone, which in its first year attracted 15 new occupiers, created 228 new jobs and was picked out as the number 1 UK free zone by the Financial Times.”

Since they opened for business in April 2012 Enterprise Zones have laid firm foundations for success, attracting international companies, building centres of excellence in key industries such as automotive, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy, and delivering the infrastructure and training that will ensure that Britain continues to be competitive and successful on the global stage.

In total they have:

·         attracted 250 businesses

·         secured £1.1 billion of private sector investment

·         created over 7,000 jobs.

Source:Sheffield City Region

Chesterfield residents are able to vote for the public artwork they would like to see at a key gateway to the town centre.

The project, led by Chesterfield Borough Council, aims to raise the profile of Chesterfield as a place to invest, visit and live.

Funding of £500,000 has been secured from Barratt Homes, who are responsible for new housing developments in the borough, including on the former Chesterfield Football Club site on Saltergate, and from the European Regional Development Fund for the project.

The funding must be used to make environmental improvements and install public art at key sites around the edges and entry points to the town centre.

The first site is at Hornsbridge.

The borough council is running a consultation with residents to choose the design of the artwork at this key entry point into town.

There will be a one-day event in the Pavements Shopping Centre where residents can votes for the design they would like to see installed at Hornsbridge from a shortlist of four designs,.

The event runs on Friday 9 August from 10am to 4pm.

The shortlisted designs for the Hornsbridge site are:

• The Tutelar
• The Portal
• Field and Fort
• Growth

Each of the designs which have each taken inspiration from a different aspect ofChesterfieldand its history.

The survey will also be available on the council website from Friday 9 August until Friday 13 September: http://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/Gateway-Enhancement-Options-1173.html

The results of the public vote will be combined with the votes of the business community, gathered through Destination Chesterfield, and recommended to  the council’s cabinet, who will have the final say.

Councillor John Burrows, Chesterfield Borough Council’s leader and executive member for regeneration said: “We are proud ofChesterfieldand keen to attract new investment into the town – so we feel it is right to give our residents and local businesses a say in the artwork that will used at Horsbridge, a key entry point into the town from the M1.

“I would urge anyone involved to go along to the event at the Pavements Shopping Centre on 9 August to meet the artists and leave comments or to vote online before 13 September.

Source:Chesterfield Borough Council