Author: Tara Underhill

Securing the best devolution deal for Chesterfield and Derbyshire

4th March 2016

Chesterfield Borough Council has voted to apply to join a devolution deal with Sheffield City Region that could bring millions of pounds and hundreds of job opportunities to Chesterfield and Derbyshire.

The devolution deal will see powers and funding held by ministers and civil servants in London – on issues such as housing, skills and training, business support and transport – transferred down to a local level.

At a special council meeting held on Thursday 3rd March, councillors confirmed that entering a deal will mean absolutely no changes to Chesterfield’s geographical boundaries with the town remaining firmly part of Derbyshire. Those councillors will also continue to control the running of all the services Chesterfield Borough Council is currently responsible for.

The additional devolved powers will be managed by a combined authority, which is made up of a group of councils, which will be led by an elected mayor. Chesterfield is applying for an equal seat at the table of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority alongside Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster councils. This builds on the strong relationships that have already delivered significant investment in Chesterfield from the Sheffield City Region.

The decision by Chesterfield’s councillors starts a process that will include a full period of public consultation – likely to be in late spring or early summer – ahead of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government making a decision, anticipated to be in the autumn.

Councillor John Burrows, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I’m Chesterfield born and bred. If you cut me open I would have Chesterfield written on one side and Derbyshire on the other.

“So from day one I have been very clear that this is not about us moving anywhere as some people have claimed. Chesterfield is a Derbyshire town and will always be a Derbyshire town. Changing that has never been on the agenda and it never will be.

“This decision has been about what is going to be best for our economy and will most benefit our residents and businesses.

“It’s about creating jobs opportunities for young people who tell me they are desperately struggling to find work. It is about supporting the Chesterfield businesses who tell me that they want to expand but need staff with the right skills to do so.

“And it’s about giving our town an equal say at a table where £900 million is being handed out over the next 30 years.”

Three other Derbyshire councils – Bolsover, North East Derbyshire and Derbyshire Dales district councils – are applying to join the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority as non-constituent members.

They have also decided to be full members of a similar North Midlands Combined Authority formed of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils, Derby City, Derbyshire County Council and around half of the Derbyshire district and borough councils.

Chesterfield Borough Council has also decided to apply to become a non-constituent member of the North Midlands Combined Authority.

This partnership is currently negotiating with government for a devolution deal that would also see powers come down from Government to be managed by a combined authority led by an elected mayor.

Councillor Burrows added: “I am in the unique position of being the only council leader to have been involved in negotiating devolution deals for both the North Midlands and Sheffield City Region areas.

“I’ve read every document on the subject and sat in the meetings here and in London. So I’ve heard every argument for and against both devolution deals and in all that time I’ve been looking for what is best for Chesterfield and Chesterfield alone.

“After hearing all the issues at the debate I came to a clear conclusion that this deal is in the best interests of Chesterfield. That view was shared overwhelmingly by councillors of all the three political parties represented on the council, who decided this is the deal we should put out to public consultation.

“What is on offer is so great that it would be reckless and gambling on the town’s future to walk away and not seek any devolution powers.”

Residents can view the report which has all the details considered by councillors at the meeting by visiting www.chesterfield.gov.uk and clicking on the devolution button at the bottom of the page. Paper copies can be seen at Chesterfield Town Hall.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development

Still time for Derbyshire businesses to join free Healthy Workplaces scheme

2nd March 2016

More Derbyshire businesses are being encouraged to sign up for a free health and wellbeing support programme which is tailored to the needs of each individual organisation.

Since it launched in July, Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire has worked with more than 40 local businesses, which together employ over 30,000 people, to help employees to get fitter, healthier and happier.

The Healthy Workplace teams offers one-to-one help and support in areas including:

Assessing an organisation’s current situation and highlighting key areas for change
Supporting health and wellbeing in the workplace
Putting in place long term solutions for preventing ill health
Developing strategies and action plans for making improvements
Providing information on local services
Providing advice and support on mental health and wellbeing, healthy eating, physical activity, stop smoking support and alcohol and substance misuse
Offering training opportunities

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Dave Allen said:

“Making sure that employees are healthy and happy is an important function of any business.

“The Healthy Workplaces programme offers innovative solutions for employers who want to create a healthy and engaged workforce and also signposts onto other health and wellbeing projects such as the Heart of Derbyshire healthy eating options scheme.

“We would encourage anyone who has a business in Derbyshire to get in touch and see how our team can help.”

Chesterfield Royal Hospital is just one of the organisations working with the Healthy Workplaces team.

Sarah Cooper, HR Advisor at the hospital, said:

“We’ve worked closely with the Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire team to create a healthy and more engaged workforce.

“The team supported us to enable staff to access local weight management services and develop our range of physical activity sessions.

“In addition they have provided guidance to enable us to obtain the Gold Standard for the Heart of Derbyshire award so we can all benefit from a range of healthy meal options in our canteen – Café @ the Royal.”

Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire is free to join for all businesses within Derbyshire County Council boundaries (excluding Derby City).

Find out more about Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire at www.derbyshire.gov.uk.

Posted in Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Further growth for Handelsbanken

2nd March 2016

Handelsbanken in Chesterfield has reported an encouraging start to the year following another year of growth for branches across the UK.

Thanks to the loyalty of its local branch customers, the 144-year-old bank has revealed an 11 per cent rise in lending to British customers (in quarter 4 2015 compared to quarter 2014). Over this period, UK business lending increased 8 per cent, to £10.36 billion, while lending to personal banking customers rose 17 per cent, to £5.09 billion. UK customer deposits increased 13 per cent over the same period, to £8.69 billion.

Run by a team of 6 experienced local bankers, Handelsbanken Chesterfield is one of 206 British branches, stretching from Inverness to Truro, Colwyn Bay to Canterbury. Handelsbanken puts this continuing growth, including 19 new branches announced in 2015, down to a clear, long-term focus on customer satisfaction, prudent banking and cost efficiency. This local, customer-led approach has seen the bank rated top for satisfaction and loyalty for the last seven years, in an independent annual survey of British banks’ personal and business customers. The focus was also recognised in the government-backed Business Banking Insight survey, published last month, where Handelsbanken received the highest customer ratings across all sizes of SME designated by the survey.

Phil Walker, manager of Handelsbanken’s Chesterfield branch commented: “It’s been another successful year for Handelsbanken and that has been replicated here in Chesterfield. New individual and corporate customers continue to join us, often on recommendation from our existing customers, who appreciate the personal banking relationship they have with their local branch.”

Anders Bouvin, Handelsbanken’s UK Chief Executive, comments: “We know that having a local presence in the communities we serve is important to our customers. They value a personal relationship based on trust and responsibility, being able to talk to a decision-maker who knows their circumstances, which is a vital part of our traditional banking model. We aim to complement, rather than replace this, with our digital services.”

Businesses and individuals can contact Handelsbanken’s Chesterfield branch by calling 01246 231750 or by visiting the branch office at Spire Walk, Chesterfield.

Posted in Business

Green space in Brampton set to be transformed

29th February 2016

Residents in Brampton will soon enjoy an enhanced green space at Chester St Park thanks to a share of a £1.5m funding pot received from central Government.

Social enterprise Monkey Park – Brampton’s new cafe, artisan bakery, bicycle workshop and co-working space – has been awarded a £14,000 grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government ‘Pocket Parks’ programme to improve the green space opposite the centre.

Chester St Park is one of more than 80 unloved and neglected urban spaces across the country which will be transformed into green oases for everyone to use.

Working alongside Chesterfield Borough Council, the team at Monkey Park will use their funding to build a new riverside walkway with benches and a new entrance to the park, allowing people to walk along the Holme Brook and enjoy the natural green space threading through the heart of the community.

The project will support volunteers in their efforts to improve the river by providing flower bulbs and trees for planting, and will also fund an art and nature event which takes place in May.

Looking towards the future, the grant will also enable a sustainability plan to be produced, helping to ensure the park continues to improve over time.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “The news that Monkey Park has received Government funding to create a pocket park is great for local residents.

“This will allow them have more access to nature, to take part in a wider range of activities in the park as well as make improvements to improve the look and feel of the park.”

The team at Monkey Park will work in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver the work before the end of March 2016.

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

Special meeting to decide on devolution options for Chesterfield

25th February 2016

Chesterfield Borough Council will meet next week to decide which of two devolution deals would bring the most benefits for the town’s residents and businesses.

The council has played an active part in helping to negotiate two deals, which would devolve powers and responsibilities currently held by the Government in London to a more local level. These include powers and funding to deal with issues such as housing, skills and training, business support and transport.

Chesterfield is being asked to choose between:

a devolution deal already agreed with the Government for the Sheffield City Region, which would include an additional £900 million of funding to the city region over 30 years or
a potential North Midlands deal, which is in the late stages of discussions ahead of an anticipated agreement from the Government. This deal would see a similar range of powers brought to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The deals will be given to, and be managed by combined authorities, which are groups of local councils in each local area. Under Government proposals these authorities would be led by an elected mayor.

Five councils, including Chesterfield Borough Council, cover areas that could benefit from either devolution deal due to the current overlap between the Sheffield City Region and North Midlands areas. These include Bolsover District Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council and North East Derbyshire District Council in Derbyshire and Bassetlaw District Council in Nottinghamshire.

Any choice made by councillors when they meet at the Town Hall in Chesterfield at 5pm on Thursday 3 March will then be subject to public consultation before the Government makes the final decision.

Councillor John Burrows, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It is important to be clear on what this debate is and isn’t about.

“It is not a debate about whether Chesterfield remains in the geographical boundaries of Derbyshire. We are proud to be in Derbyshire and will stay in Derbyshire irrespective of the outcome of these discussions.

“It is also not a debate about losing any of our council’s current powers and responsibilities or about the role of Chesterfield’s civic mayor.

“What this debate is about is what is best for our economy, for the jobs and training prospects of our residents, for the future sustainability and growth of our businesses, as well as access to millions of pounds worth of investment.

“At the moment many of the powers that we need are held by the Government. We are therefore being asked how best these powers and the accompanying money can be devolved down to a more local level that is in the own self-interest of the people of Chesterfield.”

A report by council officers says that both options have advantages and disadvantages for Chesterfield but, on balance, is recommending that councillors apply to become a full member of the Sheffield City Region devolution deal – known as a constituent member – and also apply to have non-constituent membership of any North Midlands devolution deal that is agreed.

The report says this is because:

the Sheffield City Region deal is already agreed with the Government and has the necessary administrative team in place to take advantage of the opportunities quickly
it offers the potential to bring more money to Chesterfield and Derbyshire’s economy
it provides Chesterfield with a more equal say when funding is being allocated as there are fewer councils sat around the table making decisions
the town’s economy, including business, commuter and leisure links, is much more closely linked to Sheffield and surrounding cities than to Derby, Nottingham and other southern areas of both counties.

Councillor Burrows added: “Although there is a recommendation from officers it is up to councillors – as the elected representatives of the public – to decide on the night which partnership and deal offers the best prospects for our town after hearing all the arguments during the debate.

“To get a devolution deal in either area the Government has insisted that an elected mayor is created. This mayor would not impact in any way on Chesterfield’s civic mayor but would have oversight of the new powers devolved from the Government and would campaign on behalf of the area for greater devolution in the future.

“Whichever deal we chose to be part of we know that we will need to accept an elected mayor that covers a wider area than just Chesterfield or indeed Derbyshire.

“The choice councillors make on the night will be the beginning rather than the end of a process. A public consultation will give all residents and businesses their say on the devolution options that best fit the needs of Chesterfield. Only when that process is complete will the Government make a final decision.”

A copy of the report assessing the options open to councillors can be seen at www.chesterfield.gov.uk by clicking on the Devolution Deal button at the bottom of the page.

Further information about both the devolution deals can be seen at www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk and www.northmidlands.gov.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Cycling festival inspires 650 infants

15th February 2016

Pupils from four years old had the chance to experience a fun day of cycle-themed activities at the 2016 Early Rider Festival, run by the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership and supported by Wheely Fun Wheels.

Spread across 12 stations, there were three cycling activities: Italian pursuit, the team relay and the sprint to stop race. Using the pedal-less bikes, the children could put their prior balance bike training into practice in these fun races.

The remaining stations, which were run by sports leaders from Chesterfield College, were all closely linked to cycling and road safety. These activities aimed to connect with the wider school curriculum. They included the “Think” and “See” stations, where the infants labelled parts of the bikes and then completed a word search to find words related to cycling.

Mark Tournier, Partnership Development Manager at the SSP, said: “We are delighted to welcome nearly 700 infants to take part in the Early Rider Festival. This is much more than festival of cycling, it is a chance to really excite and engage young people in sport and physical activity though a range of activities.

“We have tried to bring the classroom to this event with activities linked to numeracy, literacy and communication, managing feeling and self-awareness and of course physical development. We hope everyone has taken a step towards choosing a healthy active lifestyle through cycling.”

Nick Chamberlin, Mountain Bike Leadership and Cycle Training Manager at British Cycling, said: “Learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage in any young person’s life, sadly many young people are not getting the support they need to try cycling for the first time. British Cycling are excited by the innovative work of Chesterfield SSP using balance bikes to introduce hundreds of young people to the excitement of riding a bike.”

Chelsea, a pupil from Whitecotes Primary School, said: “I love riding the bike! And the colouring was fun!”

Mr Petch, a teacher at Spire Nursery and Infant School, said: “It’s fantastic seeing all the activities and seeing so many kids on bikes at such a young age. They’re having great fun and interacting with children from other schools.”

Miss McPhie, of Whitecotes Primary School, said: “I like the links to the work we do at school. By having word searches and handwriting activities, they can have a rest and still learn. The kids also enjoyed the station where they labelled the bike parts and the Young Leader running it was excellent.”

The Early Rider programme is the start of the cycling pathway for young people in Chesterfield schools with progressions to bikeabilty levels 1&2, skills to ride and cyclo-cross competitions on which to progress.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure

NHS offers 10 traineeships to help young people into work

15th February 2016

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust is working with Learning Unlimited to offer 10 exciting traineeship opportunities to help unemployed 18-24 year olds in Chesterfield into employment.

Starting at the end of February, the traineeships are in estates, catering and patient experience departments and are a great way to gain essential work experience and develop key employability skills.

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust is a Top 10 NHS Best Places To Work employer 2015, in awards run by the Health Service Journal in association with the Nursing Times and NHS Employers.

For those succesful, the traineeship programme will last for 12 weeks, beginning with a two week induction period and followed by 10 weeks of work experience. Throughout the programme each trainee will be supported by the NHS Trust and training provider Learning Unlimited. At the end of the programme trainees will be offered an interview, given a reference, considered for potential job opportunities in the organisation and supported to think about the next steps into an apprenticeship, work or education with the help of Learning Unlimited.

Sharon Allison, workforce planning and development trainer at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Traineeships are a fantastic way to develop people within the communities we serve. It is really important for our organisation to make sure we give people who want to work with us the opportunity to get experience and be job ready. We are keen to develop the skills the organisation needs and traineeships offer us the chance to do that.

“If you are unemployed, aged 18 to 24 and interested in a career in the NHS but feel you need some support to get the first step on the career ladder I would urge you think about traineeships with us.”

For more information about the traineeships and to apply visit https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/traineeship/689439. The closing date for applications is 19th February 2016.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Peak District and Derbyshire share in tourism spending and jobs boost

12th February 2016

Inspirational marketing campaigns to encourage more visitors to come and stay in the Peak District and Derbyshire have proved almost eight times more effective than expected – generating more than £44.7 million in extra tourism spending and creating more than 830 jobs.

Research by national tourist board VisitEngland reveals that official tourist board Visit Peak District & Derbyshire has exceeded Government targets by a huge margin thanks to its major, multi-media marketing push ‘The World Away’ – costing just £600,000 over three years in a public and private sector partnership.

Government-set goals stipulated that the campaigns – which included the area’s first-ever television commercial, advertising billboards, video on demand and on-line, print and social media promotion – should reap a return of investment of £5.8 million and create more than 130 jobs from 2012 to 2015.

But they proved much more appealing than anticipated – mirroring the wider success of VisitEngland’s national campaign, ‘Growing Tourism Locally’, funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) – which has generated an extra £1.05 billion in tourism spend and created a record number of 19,490 jobs in the tourism sector across England over the same period.

“To say we are delighted is an understatement,” said Jo Dilley, Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire. “‘The World Away’ has punched well above its weight in terms of both return on investment and creating jobs, bringing concrete benefits and hopefully a lasting legacy to the local and regional economy that we can build on throughout 2016 and beyond.”

Lady Cobham CBE, Chairman of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board, added: “It’s fantastic to see the results of the ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ campaign’, which was aimed at driving growth by encouraging Brits to book a short break at home in one of the many wonderful destinations on offer across England. It’s a brilliant result, promoting our beautiful country as a world-class holiday destination.”

The Peak District and Derbyshire was one of 14 English destinations to benefit from a £19.8 million pot of money – part of a total investment of £41.6 million, including contributions from VisitEngland and the private sector – funding campaigns to target specific audiences such as young couples, young couples with pre-school children, older couples and groups.

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

Cathelco supplies equipment to US

9th February 2016

Chesterfield manufacturer Cathelco has won a contract to supply its specialist water treatment system for a new offshore vessel built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group for Harvey Gulf International Marine, LLC of New Orleans.

The Harvey Stone (Hull 234), with a length of 64.8m and 18m beam, is due to be delivered in the second quarter of this year.

Cathelco’s ballast water treatment (BWT) system can operate effectively in the most challenging water conditions and automatically adjusts to different sea water qualities.

Peter Smith, sales director of Cathelco said:-

“We are one of the few BWT system manufacturers using UV technology that has no restrictions on the salinities in which ships can operate in U.S. waters. Our system has been approved and accepted to work in marine, brackish and fresh water, allowing vessels to enter the Great Lakes and other inland waterways.”

The equpment’s space-saving UV chambers are some of the smallest on the market. Each unit is a twin chamber with only two lamps (100m³/hr per lamp) and is designed to make the sea water flow along one side and then the other – doubling UV exposure.

The system also boasts an innovative, non-chemical cleaning system which prevents damage to equipment as it has no mechanical parts, but instead uses special cleaning balls to remove any residue.

Posted in Business

National recognition for Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre

5th February 2016

Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre has once again been announced as a finalist in the prestigious England for Excellence Awards.

The centre in Rykneld Square, which is owned and operated by Chesterfield Borough Council has been shortlisted for a second year in the visitor information provider of the year category.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy said: “Each year we welcome thousands of visitors into Chesterfield to visit attractions including our open-air market, the Crooked Spire and the wider area including the Peak District.

“Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are often the first people visitors to the town will meet and they will go the extra mile to make people feel welcome and make sure they have all the information they need.”

Other nominees in the same category are: Eastbourne Tourist Information Centre, Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, Thanet Visitor Information Service and The Welcome People London.

Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive Officer of VisitBritain and VisitEngland added: “Awards for Excellence finalists exemplify outstanding tourism talent and distinguished businesses throughout England.

“We received over 400 truly impressive applications this year and there’s absolutely no doubt those shortlisted are a representatives of the best in the industry who place delivering an unforgettable experience to visitors in England at the heart of their business operations.

“I’d like to congratulate all finalists and wish them the very best of luck on awards night.”

The England for Excellence Awards 2016 takes place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Tuesday 8 March.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Getting more disabled people into sports and volunteering

4th February 2016

Ten sports clubs and organisations across Derbyshire are to benefit from free training to help increase the number of disabled people volunteering across the county.

Run by Derbyshire Sport, the IMPACT volunteering project aims to create more sports volunteering opportunities for disabled people whilst increasing their confidence and skills.

The programme will help understand whether having more disabled volunteers supporting a club helps increase disability participation, a key target of Sport England who are funding this project.

A volunteer recruitment campaign is set to take place within ‘Inclusive Volunteer Month’ in June to encourage disabled people to volunteer as well as providing training opportunities for the clubs who the volunteers will be deployed to.

Within the month, Derbyshire Sport will work with local voluntary services and other partners to encourage disabled people to sign up to the project and start their journey as a sports volunteer.

Matthew Dalley, Derbyshire Para-Equestrian rider and has gained many benefits from his own volunteering experience at his riding club where he started helping in the yard and now runs the club’s social media and website.

When speaking about his volunteering journey, Matthew said: “I am committed to helping other disabled people benefit from an involvement in sport, both as a participant and volunteer.

“Through my own volunteering I aim to show that my disability isn’t a barrier to helping make a difference and I encourage others to take the opportunity to get involved with the IMPACT project so they can benefit like I have.”

Sport Development Officer for Derbyshire Sport, Rachael Dyer, said: “it is important to reflect the broad spectrum of people that we are aiming to recruit by providing a varied training programme.

“Clubs and their volunteers will have the opportunity to develop a range of skills and knowledge on how to effectively engage with disabled people who are getting involved in their club in a voluntary capacity.

“The IMPACT project will help Derbyshire clubs and volunteers better understand how to effectively engage with disabled people and to help raise their awareness of what makes an inclusive club”.

Four counties will be involved in the project across the East Midlands; Lincolnshire Sport, Northamptonshire Sport and Sport Nottinghamshire will all be working alongside Derbyshire to get more disabled people volunteering across the region.

The four counties are sharing a £59,200 investment into the region that was awarded by Sport England in late 2015.

For more information on the project please contact Rachael.dyer@derbyshire.gov.uk

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure