Chesterfield’s leading private hire service City Taxis is changing its name to Veezu, following their acquisition by the Veezu Group earlier this year.
This rebrand marks a significant milestone in their journey towards revolutionising transportation services in Chesterfield and neighbouring areas.
Established in the 1980s, City Taxis began with 34 cars and a paper booking system. Over the years, City Taxis has grown exponentially and extended its reach across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, largely thanks to strategic acquisitions, including the well-loved Chesterfield taxi company Club Taxis, in 2016.
In February 2023, City Taxis joined forces with Veezu, an alliance that promises not only a name change but a complete transformation of the way driver-partners connect with passengers and their communities.
Veezu’s Group Innovation Director, Scott Ashmore, expressed his excitement, saying: “The rebrand is more than a name change. We are firmly putting the Veezu name on the map in Chesterfield and are committed to serving the local community. We’re introducing new technology to make it easier for people to access transportation and are building on our hyperlocal activities to ensure we remain at the heart of our communities.”
Whilst passengers can call the usual Chesterfield number 01246 222 222, Veezu is introducing a new mobile app so that passengers can skip call queues and book their rides in a matter of seconds. Veezu offers multiple payment options, including Google Pay, Apple Pay, AirPay, card, or cash, making travel even more convenient for passengers.
Veezu is proud to be the UK’s fastest-growing private hire technology platform, with a track record of helping passengers in local communities complete an average of one ride every two seconds in 2022.
As part of its rebranding efforts, Veezu is excited to unveil an extensive marketing campaign entitled ‘Smarter Local Rides’ in the Derbyshire PHV market. The campaign also introduces its ‘funded by Veezu’ local community initiatives to residents across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
Driver-partners, local businesses and passengers are invited to embrace the Veezu identity and continue its mission to provide safe, efficient, and affordable transportation services to the communities of Chesterfield and beyond.
Veezu supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
Chesterfield has scored top marks in the East Midlands In Bloom competition.
The town has once again won the Best Small City category, alongside a Gold Award – improving its score from last year.
As well as winning the overall Small City category, the town also won a number of other awards including a Judge’s Discretionary Award for Hunloke Allotments, Least Littered Community, a Gold Award for the Britannia Inn and Best New Permanent Landscape for the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre.
Representatives from the Chesterfield In Bloom committee and Chesterfield Borough Council were presented with the award at a ceremony on Wednesday 20 September.
Councillor Jonathan Davies, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “It is absolutely brilliant that we have managed to win this competitive category once again and the other awards are also a fantastic victory for our borough. I want to thank all the volunteers and officers who put their time and effort into supporting our entry every year.
“Awards like this are important because they help raise the profile of our town but also recognise the way in which fantastic green spaces can have a positive impact in our community.”
Chris Turner, chair of the Chesterfield In Bloom committee, said: “There is a lot of preparation from many different community groups and the council to ensure the borough is looking its best in time for judging. I’m delighted that we’ve won this award again, it’s fantastic to be recognised for our efforts.”
Judging for East Midlands In Bloom took place in July and the judges were taken on a tour of the borough, starting in Queen’s Park, they visited the town centre, the Dementia Awareness Garden, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre, Holmebrook Valley Country Park, the Britannia Inn, Hunloke Allotments, Brimington community garden and the pocket park on Edinburgh Road Park.
Find out more about visiting Chesterfield – a great day out or to stay, located in the centre of the UK.
Magnavale, one of the UK’s leading providers of temperature-controlled storage, has announced that its development currently taking place at its Chesterfield cold storage facility has made significant progress, and is on track to be completed in late 2024.
Since breaking ground in February 2023, construction of Magnavale’s Chesterfield cold storage expansion has progressed smoothly. As of August 2023, the company reports that the steel framework is now complete, and the installation of insulated wall and roof panels is also nearing completion.
A Magnavale spokesperson said: “Over the month of September, the construction crew will be finishing the roof membrane and intumescent painting of the new steelwork. Concurrently, work will commence on the small plant rooms and internal services including electrical, plumbing, refrigeration, and other systems.
“On completion, the expansion will add a significant 25,000 pallet positions to the cold stores’ existing capacity of 44,000, bringing the total pallet capacity of the facility to 69,000, making it one of the largest cold stores in the area.
“This expansion will not only accommodate the increasing volumes of Magnavale’s existing customers but also open doors to new customers wanting to utilise Magnavale’s temperature-controlled facilities and value-added services.
The facility features one of the most comprehensive portfolios of value-added services, encompassing, blast freezing, microwave up-tempering and contract packing.
“Coupled with its strategic location, just off the M1, Magnavale Chesterfield is extremely desirable for food manufacturers that wish to cut unnecessary cost, risk, and complexity from their cold chain.”
Well served by the M1 and the Midland Mainline, Chesterfield is within one hour’s drive of four major airports and London is under two hours by rail. Find out more about why the town is perfectly located to base your business.
Magnavale supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
A series of short films celebrating small and medium-sized companies investing in Chesterfield during 2023 have been premiered online by Destination Chesterfield, the organisation responsible for promoting Derbyshire’s largest town as a place to invest, work, live and visit.
They feature four companies – ChargedEV, Rosewood Wealth Management, NeoDyne and Voeberg Hospitality – that have already created more than 100 jobs in Chesterfield and are expected to invest over £5.6 million in the town’s facilities over the next ten years.
All four business leaders featured in the films cited Chesterfield’s central location and transport connections as significant benefits of being located in the town. They also mentioned lifestyle, access to talent and a supportive investment environment as reasons to base businesses in Chesterfield.
Chesterfield will hold its eighth annual investment summit on 18 October 2023, which will outline the town’s growth strategy, detail new investment opportunities, and provide an update on development activities. More than 200 delegates, including domestic and commercial property investors and business leaders from the UK, are expected to attend the event, which is sponsored by East Midlands Chamber and Turner & Townsend.
Data shared in Chesterfield’s growth strategy, published in April 2023, show the town’s business population grew by more than a fifth (21 per cent) in the last decade and created 2,000 new jobs. Chesterfield aims to attract 400 more businesses and a further 2,000 jobs by 2030.
Matt Close, UK Business Lead at NeoDyne, an Irish industrial automation and electrical engineering company that opened its first UK office at Spire Walk in August, said: “There’s a huge benefit to be able to go and see our manufacturing customers and their processes. Getting to them easily and quickly is why we’ve opened the UK office, and Chesterfield is close to many areas that undertake manufacturing in the UK. There are good transport links from airports, public transport and the road network, a history of engineering excellence in the area, and several local universities we’re partnering with and have recruited from.”
Emily Smith, Director of Voeberg, the property investment company developing The Holywell Hotel in Chesterfield town centre, comments: “We moved from Scotland almost two years ago looking for a new investment area for our residential and commercial projects. Chesterfield was one of the first places we looked at because of the location, and it stood out because of the demand in the area. Chesterfield gave us that kind of local feeling that you don’t get in big cities and the ability to bring something new to the area. Going through this project, we’ve worked closely with the council, which has been massively supportive.”
Mark Pymm, Founder and Managing Director at ChargedEV, an electric vehicle chargepoint installation specialist which relocated to The HQ in March, comments: “We’re already one of the leading installers of EV charging points in the UK, and we expect to maintain that position. We needed new premises that allowed us to grow and scale our customer operations and office-based functions, and this building was prime for that. We chose to maintain a team in Chesterfield because of its transport links and central location, which offer easy access nationwide, and because of the diverse and talented range of people we can get here.”
Donna Robertson, Director of Rosewood Wealth Management, an independent financial advice company relocating to One Waterside Place, part of Chesterfield Waterside, comments: “Chesterfield has a great community feel, people do want to help each other out. It is exciting to be part of that and to be able to grow the business and give back to the community. It was great to get in when Chesterfield Waterside was just starting to take off, and be here from the start, knowing how amazing this development is going to be.”
Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice-Chair of Destination Chesterfield, comments: “Entrepreneurs and SMEs are vital for economic growth and Chesterfield provides this section of the business community with everything they need to thrive. Businesses in Chesterfield enjoy a strategic location in the centre of the UK, offering access to great talent, great transport links and a great quality of life. Chesterfield is investing in the facilities and homes required to deliver sustained growth, support local startups and scaleups, and attract great people and businesses from elsewhere looking for a compelling alternative to big cities.”
Destination Chesterfield has received £180,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It follows a successful funding bid by Chesterfield Borough Council, to secure £2.69 million worth of funding for local projects.
Approval has been granted for the Staveley Waterside project, which will revitalise the Staveley Canal Basin site.
£2.664 million has been earmarked from the Staveley Town Deal fund, to enable Derbyshire County Council to construct a 2-storey building, offering flexible space for new and existing small businesses, some retail use, and a food and beverage opportunity, with indoor and outdoor dining space, along with an access road, and mooring space.
A total of 11 units are planned within the centre, each equipped with kitchen and restroom facilities, while a new 40-metre footpath is planned along Hall Lane.
The project aims to encourage more visitors to use the canal and will also create space for around ten new businesses. Proposals were unanimously approved recently by councillors at Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.
Councillor Tony King, cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration at Derbyshire County Council, said: “We’ve put together proposals for an exciting new development, which will help to bring jobs to the area and boost the visitor economy.
“Derbyshire County Council has been working alongside partners over a number of years to improve the Staveley Basin area and the Staveley Town Deal has given us a great opportunity to turn our ideas into reality, using our expertise from Markham Vale to create high-quality business accommodation as well as a visitor destination that people from near and far can enjoy.”
The Staveley Town Deal is a £25 million fund, which will bring forward multiple employment sites, and bring higher-level skilled jobs to the area.
As part of the Staveley Town Deal, Chesterfield Canal Trust is working on the restoration of the canal by extending it from the existing limit at Eckington Road. As well as improving outdoor space and creating new leisure infrastructure, it is expected that the restoration project will lead to a 20% increase in visitors to the Staveley area boosting the amount of money spent in the local economy.
East Midlands Chamber has praised the ‘shining examples of success’ of green growth in our regional business community at its latest Sustainability Summit.
The event explored how to unlock the green growth for SMEs and the wider East Midlands economy – across themes including leadership, innovation, international trade and best practice.
It took place against a backdrop in which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the Government will water down net zero policies, including delaying a ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and phasing out gas boilers.
Speakers at the Sustainability Summit said “flip-flopping” over net zero commitments from Westminster created huge uncertainty that undermined long-term investments and would ultimately harm the UK’s quest to become a global leader in the green economy.
About 200 people representing organisations from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire gathered for the event, held in partnership with the University of Derby, Mazars, Thompson Tree Services and Epson.
East Midlands Chamber director of policy and insight Chris Hobson said: “We heard at our Sustainability Summit about some of the great things that businesses are doing in pursuing green growth and the very tangible rewards they are reaping with innovation and financial growth.
“These are the shining examples of success we can glean from embracing net zero, which means viewing it as not just a challenge but a golden opportunity.
“Yet while our national leaders correctly talk up the research and development strengths of our businesses and ambitions to be a global leader in developing low-carbon goods and services, there is a huge disconnect between this messaging and Government policy – as evidenced by the Prime Minister’s ill-judged shifting of the goalposts on our country’s net zero commitments.
“We saw first-hand the impact policy flip-flopping has on business decision-making during the chaotic political landscape of 2022, which quashed business confidence and thus investment. The lack of certainty about the future direction of our economy will unfortunately have a similar impact at a time when we should be encouraging transformational long-term investment.
“Having net zero targets is one thing, but to get us there we require a roadmap that will be led by business innovation. The vacillating from our political leaders instead undermines our ability to make real progress in this space and we instead find ourselves stuck in limbo when it comes to the most significant economic opportunity of our lifetime.”
Findings from the Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands research conducted by the Chamber and University of Derby were discussed by report author Dr Polina Baranova, associate professor of strategy and sustainability.
It showed the proportion of East Midlands businesses that have made any income from environmentally-friendly goods and services dropped from 45% in 2022 to 36% in 2023, decarbonisation investment varies significantly according to business size and sector, and a widening gap in business support and information.
Dr Baranova said this illustrated not only the impact of the cost-of-doing business crisis but the “fragility” of the current policy landscape, with green growth yet to be a firmly embedded business philosophy.
Other highlights at the Sustainability Summit included:
East Midlands Chamber president Stuart Dawkins discussed how sustainability is at the heart of businesses’ responsibility to support their communities and future generations
Professor Chris Bushell, pro vice-chancellor and head of sustainability at the University of Derby, outlined how the institution is taking a lead in the net zero agenda via its research, innovation, thought leadership and knowledge capital
Ian Meikle, director of clean growth at Innovate UK, explained how Britain can create jobs and sustainable economic growth by developing its own low-carbon products and services, but this required stable policy and regulation, innovation in business models and supply chains, and a step-change in access to capital
Chris Fuggle, global head of sustainability services at audit, tax and advisory services firm Mazars, provided practical strategies to upskill leadership teams on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda and embedding sustainability at board level
Charlie de la Haye, communications manager at Epson UK, gave an insight into how the global printing manufacturer had pivoted its business model to deliver green goods and services while demonstrating how it could deliver cost-saving benefits to customers.
The countdown to Christmas has begun at Chatsworth, as the house is set to be transformed into ‘The Palace of Advent’ for the festive season.
From 4 November – 7 January, 24 themed rooms will be filled with Christmas wonder, and the sights, sounds and scents of the season. Visitors will be invited to travel under archways adorned with candy canes, handmade Christmas stockings and mistletoe; wander through infinite snowflake showers and a glittering Christmas tree brooch forest; and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Father Christmas’ workshop, with mischief-making elves and a giant exploding Christmas cracker.
The celebration continues in the garden, where an illuminated light and sound trail will embrace some of Chatsworth’s best-loved garden landmarks, including the historic Cascade, whose 24 stone steps will be transformed into an illuminated, interactive musical instrument that visitors can play, the giant keys lighting up to the sound of hand bells.
The light trail will culminate in a spectacular animated lightshow that transforms the house into a giant advent calendar. Created by Derbyshire-based digital artists Illuminos, the light installation will animate 24 Christmas scenes emerging from 24 windows on the south façade of the house. These will reflect the Christmas scenes within the house as well as Chatsworth’s extensive collection of art and artefacts, creating a dazzling view. The farmyard will also be transformed with lights and decorations, and families can join Father Christmas for story time in his grotto.
Paul Hayes, Visitor Experience Manager at Chatsworth said: “We’ve spent more than a year planning our celebration of advent, working with wonderful artists and creative partners to ensure that every visitor finds moments that mean Christmas to them. We’ve set out to create a sense of wonder for adults and children alike as they journey through the house and garden, and we invite everyone to become immersed in, and contribute to the displays. Christmas is a magical time at Chatsworth, and we can’t wait to share the Palace of Advent.”
Building on Chatsworth’s longstanding role as a place of art and creativity, the design team has worked with contemporary artists to create new works for the Christmas experience, including a large-scale paper cut artwork by artist Bethan Maddocks.
The work, which will be revealed in the windows of the Chapel Corridor, celebrates the generations of people who have worked at Chatsworth to maintain the house, garden and parkland for everyone to enjoy.
A highlight in the house will be a glittering Christmas tree brooch forest featuring 2,000 brooches from the extensive Guinness World Record breaking collection of Adam Wide. Adam will be at Chatsworth on Thursday 30 November to give a talk and answer questions about his collection – one of many festive talks, tours and workshops planned at Chatsworth this season.
Chatsworth’s annual Christmas market also returns from Saturday 4 to Sunday 26 November, with over 100 exhibitors offering Christmas crafts, gifts and decorations, as well as festive food, drink and live music. Chatsworth’s Orangery and Stables shops will be open all season, with Christmas gifts, homewares and clothing made by some of the region’s finest sustainable producers, designers and craftspeople.
More information about the event and ticket details can be found at our Christmas at Chatsworth event page.
For a full list of festive activities, events, and a guide to your perfect Christmas is Chesterfield, head over to the Christmas in Chesterfield page.
Chatsworth supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
The 1940s market is coming back to Chesterfield this half-term, promising music, fancy dress, classic cars and plenty of family fun.
Residents and visitors are invited to flock into the town centre on 2 November 2023 from 10am to 3.30pm to sing along to 1940s music, see classic cars and military vehicles and meet market stall holders who will be dressed in 1940s clothing.
There will be street performers in the town centre throughout the event, with the Kalamazoo dance band back again by popular demand, performing in New Square.
The event is taking place alongside the weekly flea market, and as always there will be a competition for the best dressed stall holders.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, portfolio holder for the town centre and visitor economy, said: “Visitors to the market are encouraged to get into the spirit and dress-up in traditional 40s outfits where possible, although this is not essential! This is a fantastic event, and everyone is welcome to attend. There are not many events you can go along to where you can see this much free entertainment, so why not give it a try if you haven’t been before.”
The must-see attraction at this year’s event is the replica spitfire which can be seen in Rykneld Square (opposite the Visitor Information Centre) throughout the event. There will also be a display of classic cars, a vintage fire engine and a variety of other entertainment around the town centre to see including an escapologist.
Chesterfield Museum staff will also be attending with handling objects from their World War Two education box, as well as doing a make-do and mend activity with Transition Chesterfield.
Those attending the event are encouraged to use public transport to travel into Chesterfield, if possible, but there is also lots of parking available around the town centre too. Check out our guides to visiting Chesterfield.
Business leaders in Chesterfield are being encouraged to raise the profile of their organisations and their people by entering a prestigious regional awards ceremony.
Regional business media outlet, The Business Desk is hosting the East Midlands Leadership Awards 2024, and nominations are now open for companies across the area.
TheBusinessDesk.com set up the East Midlands Leadership Awards to showcase leaders and role models within organisations across our area. The winners will demonstrate the qualities of ‘extraordinary leadership’ and be able to show the positive impact this has had on their organisation, industry or the wider community.
The Leadership awards offer a chance for businesses to display their successes to the entire East Midlands region. The awards are free to enter, and the deadline for entries is Friday, 10th November.
The best of the region’s business leadership will be crowned in a special ceremony on 14th March 2024 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nottingham.
Sam Metcalf, Midlands editor at The Business Desk, said: “TheBusinessDesk.com created the East Midlands Leadership Awards to celebrate the people that are role models within their organisations and raise the bar for their competitors. The winners will show the qualities of extraordinary leadership and be able to demonstrate the positive impact this has had.
“The Leadership Awards offer a great opportunity to recognise and showcase the achievements and success of businesses in the region.”
Categories available to enter include:
Young Leader
Public & Third Sector Leader
Mentor
Emerging Entrepreneur Leader
Diversity & Inclusion Leader
Professional Services Leader
Transformational Leader
Green Leader
HR leader
Sales Leader
Marketing Leader
Technology Leader
Finance Leader
Property Leader
Company Leader (up to 100 employees)
Company Leader (up to 100+ employees)
Leader of the Year
For more information on the categories, and to nominate your organisation or people for an award, visit The Business Desk website.
Work is now underway on the building of 70 new homes in North Wingfield.
The properties, a mix of two, three and four bed houses, and 2 bed bungalows will all be managed by Rykneld Homes on behalf of North East Derbyshire District Council.
Niall Clark, Director of Property Services and Development, at Rykneld Homes, said: “These 70 homes are a big step towards meeting our target to deliver 400 new homes over the next four years.
“These high-quality properties will provide much needed homes for local families.
“We look forward to them becoming available.”
Councillor Nigel Barker, leader of North East Derbyshire District Council added: “We are committed to building and providing more social housing and this development is only the beginning.
“The houses previously on this site were only built to last 30 years, the homes that will be built here now will be high quality homes for local families to live in for decades to come.
“This site will provide much needed housing for our residents and help develop our communities.”
A number of old properties were demolished in preparation for the new development which will consist of 48 homes for affordable rent made up of a mix of 2, 3 and 4 bed houses and 2 bed bungalows and 22 for open market sale made up of a mix of 2 and 3 bed houses.
A ground cutting ceremony on Monday marked the start of building work on the site, off Whiteleas Avenue, by contractor Countryside Partnerships.
Rykneld Homes has worked directly with Countryside Partnerships to develop the proposals thanks to the involvement of Efficiency North’s EN:Procure Framework, a not-for-profit consortium serving the construction procurement needs of the social housing landlord community.
Countryside Partnerships will also provide six apprenticeship places over the course of the build.
Andy Reynolds, regional MD at Countryside Partnerships said: “We’re delighted to be working with Rykneld Homes and North East Derbyshire District Council again to deliver this significant mixed tenure development in North Wingfield. The range of dwellings and various tenures will offer the widest possible choice of affordable homes built to the highest standards.
“Today we marked the start of this exciting scheme as we broke ground with our development partners and look forward to seeing the project come to life over the next couple of years.”
Works are expected to be complete by summer 2025.
Chesterfield and North Derbyshire offers a fantastic quality of life to its residents. Learn more about Living in Chesterfield.
An inclusive activity day is set to take place in Queen’s Park this month, including a range of fun events and sports for those attending to join in with.
The event is being organised by Chesterfield Borough Council, East Midlands Housing Care and Support, and the Chesterfield Health and Wellbeing Partnership.
Taking place on 21 September, from 10am to 3pm, activities are planned to take place both inside Queen’s Park Sports Centre and outdoors in the park, depending on the weather.
Attendees will be able to enjoy sessions including seated dance, adapted cycling, Xplorer (similar to a treasure hunt), boccia (similar to bowling) and community boxing project, OzBox.
The event has been organised for anyone with learning difficulties, adults who may be isolated, those who have additional support needs and those who may find it difficult to access sports or exercise clubs, groups or activities due to a disability or health issue. It is a drop-in session, meaning attendees can come along and leave at anytime from 10am to 3pm.
Councillor Jonathan Davies, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is the third time this event is taking place in Chesterfield, with us receiving a range of positive feedback from many of those who joined us last year. It is set to be a packed day, with a range of activities for attendees to get involved in. It is also a great opportunity to meet other local people who enjoy similar activities.”
If you are an individual, organisation or service provider wanting to book please contact Wendy Blunt by calling 01246 959657 or emailing wendy.blunt@chesterfield.gov.uk.
If you are coming along, please make sure you wear suitable clothing and footwear and bring a picnic if you like. Facilities, refreshment and accessible toilets are available at the park and leisure centre. Please meet at the band stand in Queens Park, Chesterfield, S40 2ND.
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