Development

Local female entrepreneur chosen as science Community Leader

Local entrepreneur Ann Fomukong-Boden has been chosen by the British Science Association (BSA) to become one of its new Community Leaders.

Ann is a STEM Ambassador, Electronic Engineer and Director of Chesterfield-based Kakou Technologies. Ann is one of twelve individuals from across the UK chosen to take part in the programme. The aim of the Community Leaders programme is to harness the passion and ideas of the individuals, enabling them to deliver sustained public science engagement throughout the year.

Since 1994, the BSA has organised British Science Week, an annual grass-roots celebration of science and engineering that runs over 10 days every March.

For the past three years Ann has organised Science Week events in collaboration with Brampton Brewery, Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery, Monkey Park Community Cafe, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council and Pavements Shopping Centre.

Ann said: “I’m very proud to be chosen by the BSA as one of their first Community Leaders. Many people find it hard to engage with or relate to the sciences; it is still seen by many as a difficult subject that is not useful later in life. However, we all use and rely on the sciences every day, for example, using our mobile phones, cooking, applying make-up or going to the pub.”

“Working with local organisations, I’m hoping to build a network which can share and promote each other’s STEM related activities and events.”

In the New Year, Kakou will start offering a mixture of creative arts and technology-based workshops designed for people looking to learn or discover new skills. The first workshop will be a Raspberry Pi session for total beginners (parents, teachers and hobbyists) held at Chesterfield Library in January 2019. More information can be found here.

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

Plans for Whittington Moor roundabout dropped

Plans for potential changes to the Whittington Moor roundabout were shared at public exhibitions by Derbyshire County Council in August. They included traffic lights being installed on all six junctions of the roundabout and the entrance to the roundabout from Dunston Road closed to all traffic apart from buses.

The exhibitions attracted around 1,700 responses from residents, businesses and commuters.  While 67% of respondents agreed improvements were necessary to ease congestion and address issues with the speed of circulating traffic and lane discipline, 69% strongly disagreed with plans to shut off Dunston Road.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said:“Following overwhelming objections to the plans that had been developed by external consultants it became clear to me that there was significant opposition to closing off Dunston Road.

“There was concern, shared by myself, that closing off Dunston Road would just move traffic problems elsewhere in the town.”

“We’ve listened to these concerns and are not going to go ahead. We are looking at some improvements to kerbs, lane markings and signs to the roundabout, but longer term we know that we need to consider a much more radical option to improve journey times along the A61.

“The A61 was not built to cope with the amount of traffic it has now, and this is only going to grow in the future. The only solution to really make significant improvements in journey times is to consider fly-overs at the Whittington Moor roundabout, Tesco roundabout and Horns Bridge roundabout.

“The county council wouldn’t be able to fund these, but there is a new national pot of money, the Major Road Network fund, and it might be possible to bid for the money for these fly-overs from this fund.”

If the report is agreed the council will include the longer-term major improvements to the A61 in a submission of potential Major Road Network projects to Midlands Connect.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Official opening for Brocklehurst Court

Residents were joined by councillors to mark the official re-opening of Brocklehurst Court in Brampton after a £1 million refurbishment was completed.

The transformation has seen the outdated 1970s building of bedsits and small flats converted into 17 comfortable one and two-bedroom flats.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The work that has been carried out here is part of a major refurbishment programme we have begun to improve housing schemes for older people across the borough.

“Before this work was carried out we struggled to let the bedsits and flats at Brocklehurst Court. Now it is very different. We have had really positive feedback from the residents and the flats are really in demand.”

Each flat has been fitted with a new kitchen and bathroom, the whole building has been rewired, lighting around the communal areas has been improved and a new heating system installed. New windows and entrance doors have also been installed to improve the natural light in each flat.

The communal areas of the building have also been remodelled and refurbished, with an atrium being created to provide more natural light, and additional seating areas added into what were previously dark and lengthy corridors. There is also a laundry room with washing machines and tumble dryers as well as a shelter for mobility scooters.

The outdoor areas have been re-designed to include individual patios for the ground floor flats and Juliette balconies for those upstairs. Raised planting beds and seating areas have been created to encourage residents to garden and make the most of the outdoor space.

The work was designed and managed by the council’s in-house team of architects with the refurbishment carried out by Fortem Solutions. It was completed on time and to budget.

Brocklehurst Court is the first of three refurbishments of older persons’ accommodation being carried out by Chesterfield Borough Council. Work has already been completed at Glebe Court in Old Whittington ready for residents to move back in soon, while Catherine Court in Brampton will be finished in spring 2019.

Extensive internal and external works is also planned to improve blocks of flats on the Grangewood estate.

For more information about accommodation for older people visit: www.onthemove-cbc.org.uk, call On the Move on (01246) 345700 or visit their office on Low Pavement.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development

New Vice Principal joins the Chesterfield College team

Anna Jackson recently joined the Chesterfield College management team as Vice Principal for Learning, Skills and Innovation. She is working alongside Directors at the college to develop academic and technical provision and to drive forward the college’s quality and improvement plan.

Anna brings a wealth of education experience and a track record of curriculum improvement and working in partnership with local industry to develop the skills needed.

Following a career in industry, Anna joined the education sector around 15 years ago. Her first role in further education was in Leicester, where she initially worked as a lecturer but she quickly joined the management team.

Anna left her role as Head of Faculty for Business, ICT, Technology, Engineering and Construction at Birmingham Metropolitan College to join Chesterfield College. During her time in Birmingham she worked on key projects such as setting up the region’s Rail Academy working with stakeholders such as the National College of High Speed Rail.

Anna said: “I know from my short time in this job that this is a college which puts learning at the heart of what it does and I am looking forward to being part of that. A huge part of my role is to work with the team to improve performance and progress of learners and to develop Chesterfield College’s offer to ensure we are providing quality further education for students and employers.”

“I am keen to work with schools, employers and the Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure that we are developing study programmes with progression and the local economy in mind. We will be working hard to raise learner aspirations and ensure they move on to positive destinations.”

Anna will play a key part in growing the college’s engineering and advanced manufacturing provision and a number of other projects to meet the needs of the region.

Chesterfield College open days

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

Two more additions to Markham Vale

Two more businesses have selected Markham Vale as their preferred location and are now up and running in Waterloo Court on Markham Lane.

Integrity Devices Ltd, operating out of Unit 7, is a privately owned healthcare company who supply speciality medical devices in niche areas of the health industry. The company has gained plaudits for its commercial agility, offering high quality products at highly competitive prices.

The other new company at Waterloo Court is Barmy Army Ltd. Founded on the 94/95 cricket tour of Australia, the company have been supporting the England cricket team for well over 20 years both at home and abroad. They are now recognised as some of the greatest supporters in cricket and continue to help bring cricket to the masses, provide tickets and organise tours to support the team wherever they are playing.

This news follows yesterday’s announcement that a further three deals have been completed in the last two months at the Wilson Business Park, also at Markham Vale.

Markham Vale is a 200 acre business park with direct access to the M1 motorway via a dedicated junction, 29A. This prime development site offers build-to-suit units from 10,000 to 300,000 sq. ft. for industrial, warehouse, hotel or office builds.

Since acquiring the site ten years ago, more than 1,600 jobs have been created with 1.8 million sq. ft. of developed business space and another 100,000 sq. ft. available for further development.

Markham Vale

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

Further sales announced at Markham Vale’s Wilson Business Park

Commercial Property Partners LLP (CPP) has completed a further three deals in the last two months at Wilson Business Park, the flagship business park which forms part of the wider Markham Vale regeneration area.

GB Bespoke Joinery has purchased a 2,300 sq ft unit on the site which will form its new HQ, where it will manufacture joinery products for its nationwide contract projects.

Lee Gent, from GB Bespoke Joinery said: “The quality of the units at Wilson Business Park is outstanding, and the surrounding transport links mean excellent access to the surrounding cities, and beyond. We are looking forward to moving into our unit and continuing to grow our business.”

LTEK Systems, who manufacture control systems, has purchased Unit 11, totalling 1,250 sq ft, and motorcycle expedition company Globebusters have also secured a unit of the same size. A further unit has been purchased by a private investor and subsequently let to Switch Electrical Supplies.

The latest occupants to the scheme join the wider Markham Vale site, alongside businesses including Direct Track Solutions, Shotblast Solutions, Magpie Beauty & Catering Projects – negotiated by CPP earlier this year.

With three further units under offer, this leaves just two units available, of 2,200 & 3,050 sq ft.  Priority Space is also building a further 15,000 sq ft standalone unit on nearby Greaves Close, which is close to completion and being offered for sale by CPP.

Stuart Waite, Partner at CPP commented: “We are delighted to have completed further sales, and additional lettings, on the park, demonstrating a resilient demand for small industrial units, especially those that are available to buy.”

“The site is now well-established as ideal premises for any business looking for accommodation in the region – and boasts an exceptional location and key transport links. We’d encourage anyone who is interested in space at Wilson Park to contact us directly.”

Markham Vale benefits from its own M1 motorway junction, Junction 29a, and is just five miles east of Chesterfield and approximately 20 miles from Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby.

Markham Vale Wilson Business Park CPP

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

New investor brings 60 jobs to Chesterfield

I-Grunwerg, an award-winning supplier of houseware and catering products, is moving its operations to the former Franke Sissons site in Chesterfield.

The family-owned business, which has a turnover of £10 million, specialises in the design and distribution of premium stainless steel products including cutlery, tea ware, serving ware, tableware, kitchen utensils, cookware, kitchen knives, bar ware, and scissors.

It will move to the Sheepbridge Industrial Estate in May 2019 once refurbishment work on the former Franke Sissons building has been completed.

The move has been welcomed by Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council leader, who said: “We are really pleased that I-Grunwerg has decided to become one of our tenants on the Sheepbridge Industrial Estate.

“It is great that the former Franke Sissons site is back in use and providing job opportunities for Chesterfield residents.

“I-Grunwerg sells products through some of the biggest names in retail, including Harrods, Selfridges, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Waitrose, Lakeland and Costco, as well to catering businesses and restaurants. They also sell products online across the globe.

“So to get a company of that stature locating in the borough is a vote of confidence in Chesterfield. They will add to the growing number of leading companies who are located in the borough at sites like Sheepbridge Industrial Estate and Markham Vale.”

The company has received the support of the council’s economic development team to help it relocate to the area.

Igrunwerg Owner Ben Grunwerg said: “Our main focus is stainless steel kitchen equipment and we have a particular specialism in quality kitchen knives.

“We were attracted to Chesterfield because it is next to the M1, which as a distribution business is great for us. There are good local facilities here and the fact that Chesterfield is going to get HS2 is important as a lot of our customers are based down in London.

“We were also impressed with the development plans for Chesterfield, like the Northern Gateway scheme, which show the town has a bright future.”

The company will be relocating most of its existing workforce from Sheffield to Chesterfield but expects there to be some job opportunities for Chesterfield residents next year and then further roles in the future as the company looks to expand.

Ben added: “Half the jobs here will be warehouse roles and then in the offices we will have a full mix of staff in sales, accounting, operations, marketing, product design and graphic design.”

Refurbishment work to the former Franke Sissons building is already underway to create the company’s offices; a showroom for customers and business clients; research and development and product testing areas; distribution warehouse areas where products will be stored, packed and then sent out for delivery; and staff recreation facilities.

There is also space on the site where the company can expand and build additional warehouses in the future.

IGrunwerg moves to former Franke Sissons site

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Patients and staff help to create Chesterfield hospital’s new website

Over the last few months patients and staff from Chesterfield Royal Hospital have contributed to a new and improved website that made its appearance earlier this week.

The site retains its address – www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk – providing a host of up to date information on a range of services based at the hospital and in the community.  It’s been designed taking patient and staff feedback into account, to make it easier for users to find what they need quickly, easily and all within the recommended ‘three clicks’ or less.

Head of Communications Sarah Turner-Saint says: “We’re thrilled with the results and have been working very closely with Frank Design to come up with a site that is easy to use and looks clean and modern.  Unlike our old site this one now automatically adapts to mobile devices – so anyone logging on via their phone or tablet will see a huge difference. It’s a much more colourful and interactive experience for anyone wanting to find out more about our hospital.”

Sarah added: “This site is for everyone who might be coming into hospital, who wants to comment on their experiences or care and treatment, or who might be interested in working for us – so we need to know it functions well and gives them what they need.”

“We are excited about the new launch of the Chesterfield Royal NHS Trust public facing website” said Jamie Wise, Managing Director Frank Health, “our dedicated team at Frank collaborated closely with the Chesterfield team to deliver a high quality website, beautifully designed and built to an exceptional standard.”

The Trust is welcoming more feedback on how the site now it’s up and running – from how information is accessed, to what’s included on the pages. The new website can be found at: www.chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk

Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Arvato supports local young people through digital skills training partnership

Arvato’s team in Chesterfield has backed a training initiative designed to equip young people in the region with digital skills.

As part of Arvato’s sponsorship of the Digital Advantage project, which took place at DCAS Chesterfield, they have supported twelve 16-18-year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to improve their employability and digital skills. The best performing students have been offered work placements at leading companies across the region.

Digital Advantage is a pop-up digital agency, run by The White Room who provide training and apprenticeships for companies working in or with digital media. The agency captures the energy of the digital revolution that is sweeping around the world to bring industry trainers, work experience and digital skills into colleges or schools.

They were supported by industry leaders who guided them in the development of a prototype digital business, website and video pitch to a panel of experts. The various tasks support the students to deepen their understanding of digital businesses and learn how to successfully break into the industry.

Arvato has previously sponsored the scheme in Sefton, offering work placements to two young people taking part in the initiative to help kick-start their careers.

Damon Bruce, Head of Operations at Chesterfield, Arvato UK & Ireland, said: “Creating opportunities for young people in our local area is really important to us, helping them unlock digital talent and developing skills that will be crucial to the success of businesses up and down the UK. The Digital Advantage scheme is a fantastic initiative that helps the participants to develop their creative and digital knowledge and translate this into a work environment.”

“After the success of the scheme in Sefton we’re excited to see the results of the Chesterfield project. We’ll be following the project closely as we look out for the next generation of talent in the digital world.”

For more information on the Digital Advantage programme please click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

New Chesterfield housing development on sale soon

Work has commenced on an exclusive development of 2-, 3- and 4- bedroom bungalows off Newbold Road, which will be released for sale before Christmas.

Redbrik Estate Agents, which has offices in Chesterfield and Sheffield, will take the lead on showcasing new properties designed and built by Woodall Homes.

The Barlborough-based Woodall Homes team has been delivering desirable homes since 2011 and prides itself on providing a high specification to all of its homes.

Woodall Homes Managing Director Dave Wood is looking forward to teaming up with Redbrik. He said: “This is an exciting collaboration for both firms. Redbrik has an excellent reputation for its award-winning marketing, customer service and use of new technologies. These are just a few of the many driving factors behind the partnership.

“We have several new projects in the pipeline and will be working closely together to bring these to market.”

Redbrik Director Mark Ross added: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the talented team at Woodall Homes, which is dedicated to delivering modern homes to the region.

“Our New Homes marketing department continues to go from strength to strength, and with a combination of our expertise and Woodall Homes’ high-quality properties, we believe together we can help even more people find their perfect home.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Leisure

New Saltergate car park on schedule

Saltergate’s new multi-storey car park has been confirmed as on track for its planned opening in late spring 2019.

Owned and operated by Chesterfield Borough Council, the new car park will serve shoppers, commuters and people staying at the new Premier Inn hotel at the former Co-op department store on Elder Way.

With 530 spaces, the car park will be open 24 hours and have wider spaces and more disabled spaces than the previous car park, which was demolished earlier this year.  It will also have six electric vehicle charging points, with the option to add a further ten.

Access to the car park will be controlled by automated speed gates at vehicle entrance and exits, while people will only be able to come through pedestrian entrances by using their parking ticket.  Councillor Terry Gilby, the council’s cabinet member for economic growth, says:-

“It’s good to see the progress that is being made on the new Saltergate car park.

“One of our key priorities is to grow the local economy and this new car park will offer much improved facilities for shoppers and commuters travelling into Chesterfield and I hope will encourage people to come into the town centre.”

As part of the construction process, a temporary road closure will be required on the eastbound side of Saltergate from the junction with Rose Hill East to the Holywell Cross (Donut) roundabout to enable a crane to lift the key car park parts in to place.  Traffic will still be able to travel westbound from the roundabout down Saltergate and there will also be access to the businesses along Saltergate.

A road closure order will be in place between 14 January and 28 February, although it is hoped the work can be completed earlier than this if the weather is not bad.

A temporary one way diversion will be in place taking drivers from Saltergate, down Rose Hill East by the side of Chesterfield Town Hall, on to Rose Hill, Knifesmithgate and Cavendish Street before returning to Saltergate.

The new car park is part of the Northern Gateway development which will see the opening of the new Premier Inn Hotel and improvements on Knifesmithgate and Elder Way.  A planning application has also been submitted to build an enterprise centre on part of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.  This will offer extra space for start-up and existing small and medium-sized businesses, which is particularly needed as the current innovation centres at Dunston and Tapton Park are almost running at capacity.

In each of these projects, the council has used local labour clauses meaning that, where possible, local businesses have been in the construction process, and in supplying materials.

In total, the Northern Gateway scheme is due to create around 500 new jobs.  For more information visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/northern-gateway/.

Northern Gateway - Multistorey Car Park

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