Staveley town deal

Plans to revitalise Staveley’s high street to be considered by Chesterfield Borough Council

Draft plans to revitalise Staveley town centre as part of the wider regeneration of the area are being considered by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The Staveley Town Centre Draft Vision Master Plan is to go before the council’s Cabinet on 2 November and, if approved, will be subject to a six-week public consultation starting on 8 November.

The proposals set out a vision for the future development of Staveley’s town centre, including improvements to the look, feel and flow of Market Square and High Street, and are designed to harness the opportunities presented by wider investment in the town.

The draft plan has been brought forward as part of an ambitious regeneration package being delivered under the Staveley Town Deal programme, which has created a ‘golden opportunity’ to breathe new life into the former mining town for generations to come.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Staveley town centre is a place with rich heritage and character – and a lot of untapped potential to make it the best it can be for the benefit of Staveley’s growing community.

“Taken together with the significant investment and regeneration which is planned for across this area, we have a golden opportunity to transform Staveley for generations to come.

“Currently, like town centres up and down the country – particularly those which are relatively small – Staveley is being hit by the rise of online shopping and changing customer habits, as well as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is also much more that could be done to better connect some of the area’s key sites and buildings, to make the town centre a real retail, leisure and community hub.

“Our draft vision master plan sets out a framework in which some key improvements can be brought forward and, if approved by Cabinet, we will continue to work closely with the community.

“Staveley’s businesses are key to the future success of the town centre, and we are committed to working with them to adapt and shape these draft plans.”

The draft vision master plan has been put together following initial consultation with Staveley Town Council, local business representatives and key partners – with a view to gathering more detailed feedback as part of the six-week consultation period.

The purpose of the consultation is to get public and business feedback on the draft proposals, so they can then be adjusted and finalised.

Just over £4.85m has been earmarked for town centre improvements as part of the Staveley Town Deal programme – with funding subject to final approval by Government early next year.

Key proposals include:

  • Regenerating Market Square, including proposals for a new building called ‘The Market House’ which would create a commercial and community hub, with potential to host large indoor and outdoor and outdoor events
  • Revitalising High Street, including plans to upgrade and improve landscaping, street furniture and cycle parking
  • Unlocking the development potential of underused or derelict sites which could be used to support a more vibrant evening economy, family facilities and leisure opportunities
  • Installing town centre Wi-Fi, to create a more digitally connected town centre for the benefit of businesses and shoppers
  • Improving signage, and adding new walkways which will link the canal with Staveley Hall and local shops / services – helping people to explore further and stay longer

The updated draft master plan is designed to replace a previous version of the document which was drawn up in 2009 and now – due to changes in within the borough, as well as the national economic context – must be reviewed to ensure it provides a relevant and robust framework for the development of the town centre.

Councillor Sarvent added: “This is a hugely exciting time for Staveley. Together with our partners, our aim is to deliver significant investment and improvements across key aspects of the town in support of our vision to create a legacy for the future – a place where people can start, stay and grow.”

If approved, the draft vision master plan proposals will be subject to a consultation period running from 8 November to 12 December.

This will be via a virtual exhibition, supported by a staffed exhibition at The Healthy Living Centre in Staveley.

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Conference hears how Chesterfield’s resilience has set the town on a path of swift pandemic recovery

Chesterfield’s resilience in the face of adversity has been borne out by figures shared at today’s (31 March) Celebrate Chesterfield event organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Addooco IT.

At the virtual conference it was revealed that SMEs are reporting growth in turnover and staff numbers during the pandemic, while estate agents in the borough are achieving up to 103 per cent on asking price with up to eight buyers per property.

Despite the pandemic, more than £1bn of regeneration projects are currently underway in the borough, including the multi-million pound Chesterfield Waterside, Glass Yard, Northern Gateway and PEAK schemes.

Speaking at the conference Dr Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council praised the sector’s can-do attitude during the pandemic.

He said: “There is a fantastic landscape of development happening in the town in the middle of the pandemic. I think it says everything about Chesterfield in terms of the ambition of the place and the fact we are not going to just bunker down but actually get on and invest in quality developments right across the town and borough.”

Work has also begun on a McDonalds restaurant and drive-thru on the site of a long-derelict former multi-storey car park at West Bars. Sixty-five jobs will be created when the fast-food giant opens at the location later this year.

Most recently, Staveley received £25.2million from the Government’s Town Deal programme. It is being billed as one of the largest economic programmes in the borough in recent history.

Speaking at the conference Ivan Fomin, Chair of Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “We want Staveley to become a place to start, to stay and grow to deliver inclusive growth opportunities for the people of Staveley over the next five years.”

While 1,100 Chesterfield businesses temporarily closed during the latest lockdown, Dr Bowen is optimistic they will re-open and access the support and grants the Council has put in place to enable them to re-start. Nearly £60million in business rates relief and grants has been distributed by Chesterfield Borough Council to businesses during the pandemic.

“Our first priority is to support existing businesses to survive and restart,” added Dr Bowen.

Marketing the town, he said, was critical to the council’s Economic Recovery Plan post pandemic and praised the work of Destination Chesterfield in its work to attract inward investment.

He added: “We want people to relocate and start up in business here, so we are working closely with other Derbyshire councils and the East Midlands Chamber to make available start-up funding to encourage entrepreneurs to the town and borough.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield welcomed Dr Bowen’s comments saying: “Chesterfield has proved time and time again that it is a resilient and strong town which consistently performs well in the face of adversity.

“During the pandemic we have seen major projects start to come out of the ground which is testimony to our forward-thinking council and a key reason why investors from outside the area are keen to do business with us on major projects like PEAK, Waterside and HS2.

“Twelve months ago our annual Celebrate Chesterfield event looked to be anything but a celebration. However, we have attracted investment, jobs have been created and a plan is in place to ensure not only that we recover quickly from the pandemic but that we are stronger because of it. There is much to celebrate now and for the future of Chesterfield.”

In addition to Dr Bowen, speakers at the annual free event also included Andy Dabbs and Jillian Mitchell the Chair and Vice Chair respectively of the newly formed Property and Construction Group, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and was launched at Celebrate Chesterfield 21

The group brings together leaders from the area’s property and construction sectors to shape and drive forward collaboration, investment, sustainability and skills within Chesterfield.

Celebrate Chesterfield 2021 was sponsored by University of Derby, Whittam Cox Architects and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, who joined headline sponsor Addooco IT.

Richard Walters, owner of Chesterfield technology specialist Addooco IT Ltd, commented: “The concept of ‘Celebrating Chesterfield’ really resonates with me as there is such a rich history of innovation here. Having identified early in 2020 how challenging the next 12 months and beyond would likely become we accelerated our investment plans to help minimise the impact of the situation, whilst creating four new job roles to help cope with demand. This ensured ample capacity and performance for our existing clients and those who we’ve welcomed to Addooco over the last year.”

If you were unable to attend the live Celebrate Chesterfield 2021 event, the presentations are available to watch via the online platform until 14 April. For free access to the platform please contact mollie.brown@chesterfield.co.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , , , , ,

£25.2m investment for Staveley announced

Town leaders have welcomed a multi-million pound funding boost which will pave the way for significant regeneration in a former mining community in North Derbyshire.

Staveley is set to benefit from £25.2m worth of funding following the Government’s Town Deal programme announcement today – presenting a ‘golden opportunity’ to transform the area for future generations.

It follows a successful bid for funding by the Staveley Town Deal Board, which submitted a Town Investment Plan to unlock the funding package for a range of projects that will drive long term economic growth, offer quality skills and employment opportunities and improve the green spaces and canal network around Staveley.

And it is a further boost for the borough’s wider growth agenda – adding to the significant and sustained investments that are already being made across the area to ensure Chesterfield’s communities are in the strongest possible position to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “We are delighted at the news from Government today that Staveley stands to be awarded £25.2m as part of the Towns Fund.

“Our plans are rooted in the needs and aspirations of Staveley’s communities, and have been driven by the Board’s collective ambitions to attract the investment that this area deserves.

“Bringing funding on this scale to Staveley will transform the area and realise huge benefits to local people, both in terms of how they lead their everyday lives and take advantage of future opportunities. As a local businessman and Chair of the Town Deal Board, I am thrilled that Government has recognised the potential of our place and sees the value in backing our Town Investment Plan.”

The funding will be spent over a five-year period, steered by the Staveley Town Deal Board, and with the overall programme managed by Chesterfield Borough Council.

It follows an earlier successful bid by the Board under the Government’s Accelerator Fund – securing £500,000 worth of funding for grassroots projects. They include a new state-of-the-art all-weather sports pitch at Springwell Community College, new play equipment for King George V Playing Field and new CCTV equipment for Staveley town centre.

Welcoming the news, Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, added: “Today’s announcement is tremendous news for our borough, and for the communities of Staveley who are set to benefit from this sizeable investment in a range of exciting projects and programmes.

“This is a golden opportunity which paves the way for this former mining community – which has often been overlooked by previous national funding programmes – to realise its full potential both now and in the future.

“I would like to thank all of the partners who have worked on the Town Deal over the last year. Staveley is a very special place with a rich history and wonderful assets. Through this funding, we will look to harness the town’s great potential through re-vitalising the high street, delivering new investment and much-needed jobs, supporting local people to reach their full potential and exciting the interest of new visitors to the place.”

Following the announcement of the funding offer, partners in Staveley will be working with Government to agree the terms for the next stage of the Town Deal programme and to determine how each project will be funded.

This will allow the promoters of each project to develop their full business cases, which will be needed before the funding can be released. The Staveley Town Deal Board will be supporting each project through that process so that delivery on the ground can start as soon as practicable.

Elsewhere in North Derbyshire, £24.1 million has been awarded to kickstart a number of regeneration projects in Clay Cross.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Carolyn Renwick said: “What an incredible and proud moment this is for Clay Cross and North East Derbyshire. To be awarded the full sum we asked for – over £24 million pounds will mean Clay Cross will be an exciting hub of redevelopment, opportunity and prosperity for years to come.”

You’ll be able to find out more about all of the projects included as part of the Staveley Town Deal and other regeneration sites across the area at the virtual Celebrate Chesterfield event, taking place on Wednesday, 31st March. To register your place at the virtual event, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

Find out more about all the regeneration projects taking place across Staveley here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/staveley/

 

Works road and canal basin

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

Families set to benefit from new play and fitness facilities in Staveley

Staveley residents are set to benefit from the first improvements to the town as part of the Staveley Town Deal, which sets out ambitious plans to pull in more than £25m worth of funding to the area over the next five years.

Initial funding worth more than £140,000 will be used to invest in new play and fitness facilities at King George V Playing Fields. This will create a fantastic new space for families to create memories together and for residents to exercise in.

The money has been secured thanks to a Chesterfield Borough Council bid to the Government’s Town Deal Accelerator Fund – submitted on behalf of the Staveley Town Deal Board as part of wider plans to regenerate the town.

It follows further investment by the council in the park which saw creation of bowling facilities and a new skate park; together all these improvements will ensure that the park has facilities suitable for every age group.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Town Deal delivering funding for facilities that will directly benefit local residents. These improvements are the kind of grassroots project that I hoped we could deliver as part of the Town Deal. It may not be a high financial cost compared to the total value of the Town Deal, but it will make a massive difference to local families.”

The planned works include a new play area which will have a range of equipment for both juniors and toddlers. It will also aim to encourage imaginative play through its design and features, like play panels.

As well as the play area, a new fitness zone will be created. Within this there will be an outdoor gym area where residents can do more than 200 different types of exercise. It will also feature a multi-use area for basketball and football.

Councillor Jill Mannion Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “As we’ve all seen over the last year, providing excellent outdoor facilities is important for everyone. They provide a space for the community to socialise and are an important place for young people’s development. They are also becoming more popular as exercise venues.

“We are working closely with our funding partners to help deliver this fantastic new play and fitness space in King George V Playing Fields. I am sure that local residents will create lots of great memories in this space and keep active for many years to come.”

Paul Greenfield, Area Sales Manager for Kompan, said: “Kompan are the UK’s leading outdoor play, sport and fitness provider and we are delighted to have been selected as Chesterfield Borough Council’s partner for this exciting project. We look forward to bringing our fun and exciting play products, and state of the art fitness range to the community of Staveley.”

The work is set to begin in March and will be managed by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered by Kompan.

Find out more about regeneration in Staveley here: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments/staveley/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , , ,

Stay informed

Keep up to date

Dont miss out on all the latest news, updates & special offers.

Signup to our newsletter