chesterfield economy

Devolution top of the agenda at East Midlands Chamber’s Annual State of the Economy Review

Businesses believe devolution could hold the cards to a more prosperous East Midlands economy – but many have said they want to see Leicestershire at the table with Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The proposed East Midlands Mayoral County Combined Authority was one of the key discussion points at East Midlands Chamber’s inaugural State of the Economy Review, held in partnership with the University of Leicester and Geldards LLP.

More than 50 business and academic leaders attended the event, held at emh group’s headquarters in Coalville today (16 December), which featured panels of business leaders speaking about how they have been affected by economic issues over the past year and future policy needs.

Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills and Nottingham North MP Alex Norris also gave speeches, in which they explained the latest situation with the East Midlands devolution deal – currently undergoing a public consultation with a view to being established in May 2024 – and how it could drive investment to the region.

The deal under review includes the local authorities across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with a pledge to bring £1.14bn into those two counties over 30 years.

Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at the Chamber, said: “There is a growing appetite among our business community to devolve decision-making powers over key issues like economic affairs and transport to local areas that have a greater understanding of their needs.

“While there was once a time when companies may not have wanted to wade into the debate over political structures, they have witnessed first-hand the benefits felt by their counterparts in other areas of the country with elected mayors and seen the scale of additional inward investment that devolution has facilitated.

“There was genuine excitement from businesses in the room on the opportunities devolution will bring, but also a concern that Leicestershire may end up missing out as a result of not being part of the current Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire deal.

“For businesses, the three counties are felt to be a natural economic area of co-operation – as devolution progresses, political leaders must present a clear vision for how they ensure Leicester and Leicestershire won’t be disadvantaged.

“When discussing our region’s USP, it was clear it all comes down to us being a Centre of Trading Excellence – a place for making things, moving them and innovating in how we do this – and this is something we have called on the Government to back further in our Business Manifesto for Growth via a package of measures to improve investment, innovation, infrastructure and international trade.”

The Annual State of the Economy Review took place against a backdrop of the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey, which paints picture of declining activity throughout the past year but a slight renewal of confidence ahead of 2023 should the political environment stabilise.

A day earlier, the Bank of England raised interest rates from 3% to 3.5% in its latest fiscal intervention to arrest inflation, which was 10.7% in the year to November.

Chris added: “Our Quarterly Economic Survey has illustrated the myriad cost pressures and capacity constraints that firms have faced throughout the year, largely due to global headwinds but also because of our own doing in some cases.

“Looking ahead, businesses are acutely aware 2023 could be another tricky year to navigate as we enter a widely-predicted global recession, although a much shallower and shorter one than in 2008.

“As interest rates hit 3.5% and further forecasted raises are likely to impact further on already-dwindling investment intentions, there are things the Government can do to ‘get the basics right’, as we have stated in our manifesto.

“With four in five businesses with vacancies struggling to recruit throughout the year, we should be helping them to invest in skills – whether that be through expanding the remit of the Annual Investment Allowance so they can claim against training or making the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible to encompass a range of entry-level roles.

“Exporters are also growing frustrated with barriers to international trade and our relationship with the EU may once more become a big issue for 2023, while businesses will be eager to see new markets open up via trade deals to connect our region with the rest of the world.”

Chris Hobson, East Midlands Chamber

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield market welcomes new fishmonger

A new fishmonger, which brings in products fresh from the docks at Grimsby is now trading on Chesterfield’s marketplace.

Chris’s Fresh Fish can be found every Thursday between 9am-2pm on Chesterfield Market, serving a range of products to customers.

The stall has been trading weekly in town since 10th February, after previously trading on smaller markets elsewhere. The business also does door-to-door deliveries.

The range of products on offer includes: Haddock, Cod, Salmon, Plaice, Skate, Lemon sole, Sea bass, Sea trout, Tuna, Sword, and Halibut.

A variety of smoked fish is also available at the stall, including Smoked haddock, Smoked cod, Smoked mackerel and Smoked salmon. Alongside that, customers are able to purchase a variety of prawns, including cold water and king prawn varieties.

Chris Peart, owner of the stall said: “I’m really excited to be meeting the people of chesterfield. I’ve been there for three weeks so far and it seems to be going really well.”

The trader added that there was potential to expand trading hours into Saturday on the market if there was enough customer demand.

More information about the stall, including various offers can be found on the Chris’s Fresh Fish Facebook page

Elsewhere, you can find a wide range of products at exceptional value at Chesterfield Market including fruit and vegetables, clothes, fabrics and household goods. General Markets take place on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the traditional market as you browse a variety of stalls selling food, fashion, home ware and gifts. It boasts fresh seasonal produce, friendly market traders and value for money goods.

To discuss trading on the market, call the Markets Office on 01246 345999 or for more information visit www.chesterfield.gov.uk/markettrading.

If you’d like to find out more about visiting Chesterfield market or shopping in Chesterfield, head over to https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/visiting/shopping/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

DBCP provides advice to local homeowners and tenants following increase in energy prices

With energy prices on the rise, people are turning off their heating to save money. However, it could end up costing them more long term.

Derbyshire’s building control services provider, DBCP, is urging people to try and keep their heating on and not block ventilation in their homes, as they risk causing damp and mould problems which are damaging not only to the fabric of a building but also pose a health hazard.

Building Regulations require all new buildings and alterations to existing buildings to include damp proof courses where walls and floors are in contact with the earth. However, damp proof courses do not protect the building from internal moisture build up caused by condensation which can damage plaster and paint, as well as lead to window frame decay.

A family of four generates around 280 full buckets of moisture on average per year through everyday activities such as cooking, showering, drying clothes and even breathing. In new build homes, the problem is worse as up to 8,000 litres of water (about 800 full buckets) may be included in mixtures and materials and will take up to two years to evaporate.

If excess moisture cannot escape, then it can also become a health hazard. Moulds produce allergens (substances that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and, sometimes, toxic substances.

According to the NHS website, inhaling or touching mould spores can cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes, a skin rash and even asthma attacks. Babies, elderly people and those with respiratory and skin problems or weakened immune system are among those affected the most.

David Pratt, Building Control Manager at DBCP explained: “To conserve heat as we try to manage our energy bills, people can be tempted to block all draughts, like covering an air vent, in an attempt to make their homes warm. However, it’s important to ensure that air is able to circulate in order to maintain a good moisture balance. If there isn’t a good moisture balance in then it will cause damp and mould problems in your home.”

To ensure you have a moisture-balanced home, David recommends five simple steps:

  1. Open a window – when moisture generation is higher than usual, (e.g. when showering or cooking) increase ventilation by simply opening a window or turning on an extractor fan.
  2. Keep gutters clean – ensure there are no rainwater or plumbing leaks which could cause damp.
  3. Dry laundry outside – drying laundry inside typically increases interior humidity by 30% on laundry day and 15% overall. Even in freezing temperatures, your clothes will dry eventually.
  4. Take cooler showers – lowering the temperature of your shower by just a few degrees, won’t add as much steam to the air, which helps with humidity levels.
  5. Heat your home – although energy prices are continuing to rise, avoiding damp and mould issues will save you more money long term.

David added “Dampness and mould in properties has always been an issue and it’s partly due to the cold climate we have here in the UK. Fortunately, there are many low cost and free solutions we can put in place to tackle the problem and ensure we all maintain a healthy, moisture-balanced home. However, if you are worried about moisture build-up, damp, mould or any other issue with your property, seek advice from a property maintenance of construction professional.”

DBCP is the leading provider of building control services in Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands. It was formed following a collaboration of  eight established Local Authority Building Control Services from: Derby City Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Bolsover District Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

This collaboration has created the most effective and efficient service to deliver building control requirements throughout Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.

If you’re worried about potential structural damage caused to your home by damp, get in touch with DBCP’s team for advice, by calling 0333 880 2000 or via the website – dbcp.co.uk.

DBCP supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

New online directory launched to support Chesterfield’s local businesses

A new directory of Chesterfield’s independent businesses has been launched, featuring the best of the town’s shops, restaurants, food suppliers and more.

Un-hampered has been launched following a collaborative effort between S40 and S41 Local magazines and Chesterfield-based creative agency Defeye, after many of the town’s local businesses begin their recovery following the enormous challenges of the pandemic.

Paul Chapman, owner of S40 Local said: “Our local businesses have been hit hard over the last year, but have risen to the enormous challenge, created an online presence in record time and have changed their offering to provide delivery, takeaway or click and collect services.

“These independent businesses are the foundation of our town, when you shop with them they, in turn, feed money into the local economy. When you eat at a local independent restaurant, chances are they’ve purchased the veg from a local grocer, they may have bought it from a local farm, the farmer services his van at the local garage, the garage owner advertises with us, we eat in the same restaurant – the money stays local and helps build the local economy.

“The Un-hampered directory is the first phase, we have so much more to offer and we’ll be bringing you news as we launch each new development. We really do want to modernise access to the traditional high street and help businesses maintain a physical presence.

Matt Pritchard from Defeye explains, “when Paul first came to us to talk about what would go on to become Un-hampered, we were on board straight away. As luck would have it, we’d been discussing how we wanted to work on a self-generated project of our own that could really help push the independent businesses in town that we love. Then magically, the next week we got an email from Paul asking us if we wanted to meet up to discuss his idea. It felt like Kismet.

“Although the idea has evolved and changed through this incredibly challenging year, the ultimate goal has remained fixed. ‘Create a platform that showcases local independent businesses and gives customers an easy way of finding them’. We were lucky enough to create the Shop and Support local video campaign for the council last year and it gave us the opportunity to talk to so many incredible businesses, strengthening our resolve to get Un-hampered launched so that we could show our support to them.

“We’re excited to get phase one off the ground finally and we hope it will be a platform that helps local businesses at a really critical time.”

If you would like to view the directory or find out more about it, head to www.un-hampered.co.uk

S40 Local and Defeye Creative support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

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