Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield
Chesterfield is undergoing a major transformation, with refurbishment plans being carried out by Chesterfield Borough Council at key town centre sites.
The historic marketplace is being revamped with better lighting and power, improved access and new stall layouts, general paving repairs, new flexible trading areas and repairs to existing stall structures.
Key public spaces and the connections between them are also set to be transformed as part of the plans after the council was successful in securing almost £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
£11m will be allocated towards the costs of a £17m project to refurbish Chesterfield’s ‘striking’ Stephenson Memorial Hall to extend the Pomegranate Theatre, reconfiguring and modernising Chesterfield museum, and introducing new gallery space, a café bar, education, and community facilities.
The remaining funding will be used to regenerate Chesterfield’s historic town centre. Our town will support contemporary events, experiences, excitement and ease of movement through and around the historic core.
Improvements will be centred around key public spaces (listed below) and the connectivity between these locations, Stephenson Memorial Hall, the iconic Crooked Spire and key visitor arrival points.
- Corporation Street
- Spire Walk
- Rykneld Square
- Packers Row
- New Square
Rykneld Square near Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire – artist’s impression
The proposals will make the spine and heart of the town centre a more useable, navigable, attractive, safer and healthier place to spend time. It will do this by:
- Improving the quality of lighting in the town centre, contributing to the climate change agenda and increasing and enhancing the overall quality of the urban environment
- Improving the wayfinding around the town centre and usability of key public squares for cultural and commercial events, providing a platform for improved cultural events to attract more visitors
- Improving the environment for pedestrians and cycling
The multi-million pound Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project includes a range of improvement works to transform the look, feel and flow of the town’s key public spaces. The works are due to start on 1 July 2024 and will take eighteen months to complete.
