About Chesterfield

Nominations open for Derbyshire Times Business Excellence Awards

The Derbyshire Times is celebrating the very best in business across the county, with the launch of this year’s  business excellence awards.

The awards have been running for over a decade, highlighting and honouring our amazing local firms – and the people that work for them.

Phil Bramley, editor of the Derbyshire Times, said: “The dynamics of many of our businesses have changed over the past 18 months. Every organisation has had to pivot, adapt, collaborate or change the way they were doing things and we want to celebrate them.

“We’ve made a few changes to our awards categories and we won’t be asking for any financial evidence this year.

“For the first time we also have the opportunity for our community to nominate their Retail Hero

“Preparing your entry for the awards should provide an opportunity to reflect on the positives, rather than the negatives and to share your success with the wider community.

“You might question if you’re ‘good enough’.

“Who says you’re not? How do you know if you don’t try? Or you might be fearful of failure, but entering awards isn’t always about winning, it’s also about what you make out of the opportunities and your journey.

“We invite you to put your entries forward and join the celebration of what has been a very challenging time and are really looking forward to hearing your stories and hopefully celebrate success at the awards ceremony scheduled to take place on Thursday November 25 held at the Casa Hotel.”

Entries are now open and will close on September 23 at 6pm – visit www.derbyshiretimesbusiness.co.uk for more information and for further details on how to submit an entry.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Covid response: The past 12 months rocked our community and economic foundation. Many organisations took the opportunity to make exceptional changes, which for many allowed their business to remain viable and open to their target audience and for others helped to support the NHS. We will reward the business that best describes their response to the crisis.

Community Initiative (Sponsored by Blachford UK): We want to recognise charities, CIC’s, volunteer groups or community groups that are doing great things to support people in their community. Whether you are a small grassroots organisation or a larger charity with a local presence, this award is open to you. We want to hear about what you do, the people and communities you help, the amazing projects you are running and the impact this is having.

Innovation Award (Sponsored by Radius by Shorts): The winning business will be able to demonstrate their ability to navigate market conditions and be at the forefront of their industry. What ways has your business adapted to change or brought to market a new product or service? Or implemented an innovative process or solution?

Apprentice of the Year: With close to a million active Apprenticeships across England alone, apprenticeship schemes have fast become a preferred route to employment for thousands of school leavers. This award recognises an apprentice who has excelled in their training and goes above and beyond for the benefit of both their business and their future career.

Team of the Year: This award recognises teams that have overcome obstacles or have shown an outstanding performance in the last 12 months.. Either a team who usually work together or did so for a special project or task.

Employee of the Year: Open to Employers to put forward an employee who is deserving of recognition. Nominations should reflect the merit and achievements that the employee has demonstrated.

Property and Construction Award: Entries open to property and construction businesses of any size. Judges will be looking for businesses in this sector who can demonstrate effective project management, excellent customer service, environmental awareness and deliver exceptional results.

Excellence in Manufacturing and Engineering Award (Sponsored by United Cast Bar Ltd): This award will be presented to the company that demonstrates a modern, efficient and innovative approach to manufacturing or engineering.

Professional Services Award: This award will look at businesses that demonstrate excellence in the professional services sector. Open to organisations of any size. We want to hear about your business and what measures you undertook to continue with your services to the community during the pandemic. There is no definitive list of occupations, but examples include accountants, architect, dentists, engineering, healthcare, law, IT, investment and finance and training

Business Leader: This award will recognise the achievements of an individual that had made an outstanding contribution to their business and industry through dedication and hard work. This person can be the owner or one of the senior leadership/management team.

New Business of the Year: Open to all businesses that have been operational for less than 3 years (as of November 2021) Businesses should have been successful in identifying a market gap to launch a new business and be able to showcase how innovation, product development, market knowledge and effective leadership have played a part in their growth to date. We would also like an understanding of plans for future growth.

Small Business of the Year: Open to organisations with 15 or fewer staff. Judges will be interested in the ethos and background to the business, its profitability and the unique selling points, which make it a success. We would also like to hear the impact made within its sector since trading and how it has overcome any challenges it has encountered.

Customer Service Award (Sponsored by Beesleys): Over the past year customers have encountered a new way of dealing with businesses, face to face contact has been less and service with a smile has been removed due to face masks. However customer service remains an essential part of any successful business. This award aims to reward and recognise a company, individual, or team, for their outstanding achievement in providing exceptional customer service.

Retail Hero (open to public nomination): The past year has been challenging for our local retailers. This award is open for the public to nominate their favourite local retailer, big or small. How did you still manage to buy and replenish your wardrobe? Nominate your retail hero.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Sponsored by Future Life Wealth Management Ltd): The judges are looking for an individual who has had a major impact on their business and the area over a number of years. If there is someone we should consider for this award, please provide a name and brief overview of their achievements for them to be a contender.

2021 Business of the Year (Sponsored by CityFibre): This award is the ultimate accolade for all our entrants and the winner will be chosen from each of the category winners. The judges will be looking for the company/person who has shown the most enterprise, passion and drive in taking their business forward. Dedication and innovation will be key to the winner of this most prestigious award.

Derbyshire Times supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Ascento announces innovative company ownership change after successful pandemic period

Staff at a Dronfield-based training firm have been handed an opportunity to share in the financial success of the business after its owner sold the company to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Ascento has switched to an employee-owned business model, meaning all 20 employees have been given indirect ownership in the company via the trust.

Previous sole owner Chris Ash will continue to act as Managing Director for the business but its future profits will be shared with staff on a yearly basis.

As outgoing owner, Chris Ash, says “I am excited to step aside as the sole owner and cannot wait for the whole team to share in the next exciting stage of our journey.

“Becoming employee owned means we are stronger together, means we can all share in our successes and means the culture we have strived, and continue to strive, to develop is maintained through a collective spirit and drive”.

Oliver Simpson, Commercial Director explains “Due to the changing nature of business as a direct result of the Covid19 pandemic we have seen an overwhelming increase in demand for our industry leading digital marketing and management apprenticeship qualifications, this is primarily due to the huge migration to remote working over the last year and because of the strong likelihood of this remaining in place for a larger proportion of the workforce than usual, businesses now recognise the urgent need to up-skill their existing staff as the existing management structures need to be adapted and their traditional routes to market have changed.

“We have ambitious growth plans in place for the coming years as we look to cement our place as the leading provider of Digital Marketing and Management apprenticeships in the country”.

While the pandemic resulted in a cessation of in-person learning, with education undergoing significant transformations in virtual classroom courses and on-demand online courses growing in popularity through digital platforms; Ascento has thrived as an online learning and development provider increasing retention and time efficiencies. This has provided flexibility for our staff and learners as well as their employers.

Notably, with a recent wave of high profile model conversions to an employee owned model, including Aardman Animations, Richer Sounds, and Riverford Organic Farmers, the business world is being transformed, refocused and inspired. The positive shift for Ascento  in cultural terms shows the company is positively focused on changing lives, empowering people and motivating them in their working lives.

Chris Ash, founder of Ascento Learning and Development, said, ““I am excited to step aside as the sole owner of the company and cannot wait for the whole team to share in the next exciting stage of our journey”.

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Men across Chesterfield to be encouraged to consider careers in healthcare

A free event aimed at encouraging men to consider careers in health and social care is set to take place in Chesterfield.

Health and Social Care Needs Men is part of ‘Careers that Care’ week, a series of virtual events organised in partnership with Derbyshire Voluntary Action’s (DVA) Community Chesterfield project, the University of Derby and Joined Up Careers Derbyshire.

The event will see a panel of men who work in health and social care answer questions and discuss what led them to work in the sector, what they get out of it and why there are less men working in certain healthcare professions than women.

The panel will be made up of representatives from the public sector, including a Derbyshire County Council social worker, a 111 senior trainer from DHU Health Care and nurse, as well as voluntary sector workers. These will include Nathan Wood, Chief Executive Officer of the charity Ability, who appeared in a short film made for the event, and a spiritual care practitioner from Ashgate Hospicecare. Questions will be asked by a current nursing student from University of Derby.

Charlotte Repton, project manager at Community Chesterfield, said: “A career in health and social care offers a huge range of career choices, all of which can be hugely rewarding for those who choose to follow that path. Through the Health and Social Care Needs Men event, we wanted to open up the discussion around why, despite this, there is still a higher percentage of women in many healthcare roles, particularly in areas such as nursing.

“The event is set to provide an extremely interesting insight into this topic, directly from men who work in health and social care, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to have their questions or concerns around stepping into a career in health and social care answered.”

This event is open to anyone from Chesterfield and surrounding areas with an interest in health and social care. However, it will be of particular interest to men who may be considering a career in health and social care, parents or teachers who may be offering guidance to a young person making decisions about their future careers and current students who wish to find out about the range of careers their studies could lead them to.

For more information or to book a free place on the Health and Social Care Needs Men event, visit www.careersthatcareweek.org/events.

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Partnership agreement will develop the next generation of construction experts

Construction company Robert Woodhead Limited (part of the Woodhead Group) and Chesterfield College have entered into an agreement to work together on a range of initiatives to help the next generation discover more about careers in construction and develop the skills they need.

The Learning Partnership Agreement builds on the long-standing relationship between the two organisations. It formalises the way they will work together in the future, building on the successful apprenticeship and work experience schemes they already have in place. It also introduces some new initiatives which will bring more work experience and training opportunities, taster days for school pupils and work around encouraging women into construction.

Janine Borderick, People Development Director at Robert Woodhead Ltd said:

“This agreement is really important to help us grow the talent we need for the future. This will help us to reach people outside of our apprenticeship programme. We want to share our experience of the industry with people and give them an introduction to the wide range of career paths that are available in construction. We want people to come and see what we do and, together with the college, we will be shouting about the opportunities there are to work in the industry.”

Aaron Wathall, is 4 months into his Level 3 Built Environment Technical apprenticeship with Robert Woodhead Ltd. During his day of study at the college he witnessed the signing of the agreement. He explained how the company are helping him to discover all the opportunities available in the construction industry and shape his career. He said:

“I am really enjoying my apprenticeship. It is really diverse. I am learning about different aspects of construction, meeting people from across the company and gaining a lot more confidence. I have had support from everyone from IT to Site Managers. They have showed me new things and been really patient. Someone is always there to answer my questions.”

Terry Brickles, Curriculum Operations Manager for Construction said:

“Robert Woodhead Ltd have always valued the education and training we offer to provide them with a skilled workforce. They know that by working alongside us to support school and college students we will be able to pool resources to encourage the next generation into construction. I am excited about the initiatives we have planned and I look forward to helping more construction experts of the future develop the skills they need to be successful.”

Chesterfield College and Woodhead Group support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Superior Wellness announces new recruits

Chesterfield’s superior Wellness has added to its growing team, with four new recruits being announced in the last month.

The company is Europe’s largest hot tub and swim spa distributor and the new team members are the latest in a long line of successes for the firm, having moved into a new 130,000 sq.ft warehouse and distribution centre earlier this year.

Tim Scott has been appointed as After Sales Manager and is managing a team of technical support advisors, customer service advisors and technicians. The team support with technical enquires, sending replacement parts to rectify customers issues and if required can provide engineer assistance with end users. Tim has over 20 years experience in the automotive retail network including Jaguar Land Rover where he was Head of After Sales.

Tim Stringer has joined the team as  PHP Developer and is working to improve the company’s CRM and automation processes amongst other projects. Tim has a wealth of experience in Laravel based systems and API Integrations.

Tim Stringer – Superior Wellness PHP Developer

George Sghendo has joined Superior Wellness as a Customer Service Advisor. George speaks fluent French to help the firm’s international partners in After Sales.

George Sghendo – Superior Wellness Customer Service Advisor

Lauren Raybould has also joined the company as a Customer Service Advisor as the After Sales team expands.

On the back of his recent appointment, Tim Scott, Aftersales Manager at Superior Wellness was quick to praise the working culture and environment within the company.

He said: “Since joining Superior Wellness I have been overwhelmed by the support from everyone including Senior Management. There is a great team ethic and a genuine family feel about the place.

“Every day I have woken up looking forward to coming to work and I haven’t had that feeling for a long time.

“The place is amazing, from sitting in the sky lounge (rooftop garden) at lunch to joining in with the team playing pool and table tennis, wellness is definitely at the heart of everything we do here, from free healthy snacks to subsidised healthy cooked meals, I haven’t gone hungry yet.

“This is genuinely the best place I have ever worked and I would recommend this place to all my family and friends.”

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Tim Scott – Superior Wellness Aftersales Manager

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Families settle into towns first modular build homes

Families in Chesterfield are settling into their new homes following the completion of an innovative development to bring additional council houses to Brampton.

Ten new properties have been added to Chesterfield Borough Council’s housing stock after Fortem completed the ten-plot modular housing scheme at Heaton Court – making them the first properties of their kind in the borough.

The new sustainable housing, which is built off site and then transported to its location, offers the council a variety of affordable house types for local families. The innovative construction approach is becoming more popular in the UK and following this first successful development in Chesterfield, this approach will feature in the borough’s future plans to meet local housing need.

The new housing development at Heaton Court includes two four bed town houses, four three bed houses and four two bed houses – all of which were added to the council’s housing stock and let to local families.

Councillor Chris Ludlow, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said, “We’re pleased to see families settling into their new homes at Heaton Court. We’re committed to meeting the housing needs of local people – now and in the future – and these new properties will provide affordable, modern and accessible homes for families in our borough.

“As is the case across the country, we need more homes to meet the future needs of our communities and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to achieve this locally. Building homes this way it creates less disruption on site for local communities and the end result is a much more sustainable and environmentally sound home.

“Living in a warm and energy efficient home is not only better for our planet, it will also reduce costs to run the property, offering affordable warmth to our tenants.”

Chesterfield Bourgh Council is committed to ensuring that all its housing stock is as energy efficient as possible, in response to the climate emergency that was declared by council leaders in July 2019. The lifecycle carbon emissions of the modular homes are around 12% lower, and it takes around 20% less energy to heat them compared to those that are traditionally built.

Electric charging points were provided to each dwelling as well as bird boxes and hedgehog runs in the gardens to support local wildlife. Landscaping works have also been completed across the site to allow off street parking and as much green space as possible.

The project has been a collaborative effort between Fortem and the council to ensure the quality of the modular builds was to the highest standard for tenants, whilst adhering to strict Government guidelines to build safely through Covid-19. Works were procured via Procurement Hub’s Built Environment Framework. This solution provides a holistic approach to urban developments to deliver projects that create environmentally low impact spaces.

James Taylor, Contracts Manager at Fortem, said “We’re extremely pleased to have completed the first modular housing scheme in the borough. This project has allowed us to provide essential, attractive new housing for the local community whilst delivering an innovative and sustainable solution.”

Louise Dodds, Client Relationship Manager at Procurement Hub, said “At Procurement Hub we love that our clients can benefit from the flexibility of our direct award Built Environment Framework. Chesterfield have worked closely with Fortem to deliver a unique, forward-thinking, and sustainable scheme that will benefit all in the community.

Cllr Ludlow added: “It is important that people looking for a new home have a choice of good quality properties to rent. Our ambition is to create an additional 100 new homes across town by 2023 and with the completion of these properties, along with others, we’re well on track to reach this target.”

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Noonah installs selfie booths at Wembley Stadium, enabling fans to pose for photos with England stars

In readiness for a summer of live crowds, football and music, Chesterfield-based digital marketing company Noonah has partnered with Cake (Havas) to install two ‘Human Holograms’ Booths at Wembley Stadium for the EE project.

With software developed in-house at Noonah, the ‘EE Selfie Stations’ give fans the chance to have their picture taken with footballing stars including The Lionesses, Gareth Southgate or Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho & Harry Maguire.

Operated through your mobile phone, the kiosks use Noonah’s ‘covid-safe’ contactless technology which sends the photo souvenir directly to your inbox. The two kiosks are permanent installations in Wembley Stadium’s inner circle and mark an exciting milestone in the return to normal.

This video produced by Noonah shows how the technology works, along with detailing the installation at Wembley:

The company has been involved at Wembley before, previously helping the SSE Arena install a digital photo mosaic in order to say thank you to key workers during the covid-19 pandemic. Noonah has also worked with other big-name brands, such as Adidas, Vodafone, McDonalds, Sky TV and the BBC.

The Wembley installation is part of a wide range of augmented reality and digital experience projects carried out by the company, with other recent project including the Chesterfield Santa House last Christmas, along with the launch of a new product personalisation service available to small businesses.

Matt Franks CEO and Co-Founder of Noonah said “I’m extremely proud of the Noonah team in successfully delivering of this project for EE. It’s a new, innovative way of creating user generated content for brands in a post-Covid world the client is delighted with the outcome.”

Noonah supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Chesterfield’s UK Asbestos Training Association ‘highly commended’ for mental health leadership

Chesterfield-based UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) has been ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Senior Leadership Engagement Award’ category at The Impact Awards, hosted by mental health charity Mates In Mind.

These Awards are open to Senior Leadership from SMEs, Large size organisations and Projects who have shown inspirational leadership that has made a meaningful impact on the understanding and support for mental health amongst its workforce, as well as across their industry more broadly.

The commendation recognised the efforts of Chief Operating Officer, Craig Evans, and Senior Operations Manager, Debbie Nixon in a virtual ceremony on 27th May 2021.

“Being shortlisted for the Senior Leadership Engagement Award demonstrates the tightknit relationship between Debbie and myself. Working alongside one another for almost 10 years, has strengthened our partnership and undeniable rapport. It’s an honour to be recognised with my longest serving employee ” said Chief Operating Officer, Craig Evans.

Mates in Mind is a registered UK charity raising awareness, addressing the stigma of poor mental health and promoting positive mental wellbeing across workplaces, helping to make sense of available options and support employers to address mental health within their workplace.

Each year Mates in Mind hold Impact Awards to celebrate their Supporters contributions to improving mental health within their workplaces and across the wider sector. The awards are an opportunity to highlight the impact of both large and SME organisations across the UK, as well as acknowledging individuals who have championed the development of mentally healthy workforces.

Established in 2008, UKATA is a highly respected, leading authority on asbestos training. The company’s passion is to both maintain and improve asbestos training, ensuring the highest standards are upheld by means of continually monitoring UKATA training provided by its members.

UKATA supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Brand-new podcast launches to promote town

A brand-new monthly podcast, sharing the successes, stories, news and events happening in Chesterfield, has been launched on Spotify by Destination Chesterfield.

Chesterfield’s answer to BBC One’s The One Show went live on Friday 28 May.

The Chesterfield Show, which aims to keep people up-to-date with what’s on and what’s happening in the town, has been created by former Peak FM news presenter Josh Marsh who is now the marketing co-ordinator for Destination Chesterfield.

The new podcast combines Josh’s broadcasting and production talents with news and views from around the borough. People can expect hear positive, uplifting news that always remains topical as well as discussions around the ongoing regeneration in the area in the monthly podcast.

The first edition is packed full of local stories, including:

Commenting on the new podcast, Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “The purpose of Destination Chesterfield has always been to promote the town as a great place to live, work and invest. The Chesterfield Show podcast is another vehicle we are using to share the positive stories of the many inspiring projects, businesses and individuals within the town. It’s yet another example of the town’s forward-thinking approach to promoting itself which has helped us attract investment throughout the pandemic.”

At the annual Celebrate Chesterfield conference it was revealed that SMEs in the borough are reporting growth in turnover and staff numbers through the pandemic, while developments have continued to move forward at pace.

More than £1bn of regeneration projects are currently underway, with multi-million-pound schemes like Chesterfield Waterside, Glass Yard, PEAK and the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre starting to come out of the ground during lockdown.

Visit https://open.spotify.com/show/4pdhLtkuPdr5iLplFeX0Eb and listen to the first episode of The Chesterfield Show now.

If you’d like to be considered for an interview or involvement in a future episode of The Chesterfield Show, please contact josh.marsh@chesterfield.co.uk.

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Head of the Family Department at Elliot Mather LLP Appointed as President of Derby Law Society

Julie Skill, LLP Member and head of the Family Department at Elliot Mather has been appointed as President of the Derby Law Society.

Julie has practised Family Law since 1989 and has been with the firm since she was a paralegal. She possesses a high level of expertise relating to a broad range of family matters. She advises on matters such as, pre-nuptial agreements, and if the worst happens and a relationship does fail, she handles all aspects of that relationship breakdown, including issues relating to children, finances and domestic abuse in an efficient and practical manner.

Commenting on her appointment as President of the Derby Law Society, Julie said: “I am extremely proud to even have been considered for the role and I am thankful for the nomination to be chosen. To have my name added to the list of such esteemed predecessors is an absolute privilege and honour. Although I am taking over the role of President at a very unique and somewhat bizarre time, I am dedicated to ensuring that I do justice to the position.”

The Derby Law Society was established in early 1886, and consisted of 35 members who were committed to starting a Law Library. Since then, the Derby Law Society has experienced exponential growth and represents lawyers across the whole of Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.

The Society aims to support the legal profession locally by offering training, social events, and representing its members’ interest. Additionally, the Society aims to assist the public in sourcing solicitors with a particular specialism.

The team at Elliot Mather are extremely proud of Julie’s latest appointment of President and we are sure that she will be a great success in the role.

Managing Partner, Julie Page has said: “Elliot Mather recognises the important role of the Derby Law Society and I am thrilled that Julie will be at the helm for the next 12 months. I know that Julie will approach this opportunity with the same passion and commitment that she shows to all aspects of her professional career.”

Elliot Mather LLP supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Construction underway at new Chesterfield Care Home, creating historic gateway into its former life

Construction is well underway at a new 72 bed care home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, which incorporates a doorway into its past.

The care home, designed by RIBA Chartered HSSP Architects, the multi-award-winning architecture practice, integrates a listed, Victorian ‘Drill Hall’ doorway arch into the design of a modern, innovative care home providing high dependency care for its residents.

The care home sits on the site of the former ‘Drill Hall’ which was built in 1897 to provide a space for the volunteer 6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters to train. It was a valued part of the community until it was demolished in 1991 and replaced with a car park. During its deconstruction, the listed decorative main stone archway was saved, and put into storage where it has been for nearly 30 years.

As part of the planning and design process, the stone, grand ornate archway which is typical of the Victorian era has been the inspiration for the new frontage.

HSSP Director and project Architect, James Botterill, said: “On viewing the historical archway which has been laying in nearby storage for decades, we began to pick-up the styling and character of the building that had once stood. It’s an impressive piece of architecture and we were determined its strong decorative character should be incorporated into the design of the new building –  transitioning its past into the modern world. It was a fantastic design challenge but one that could have easily fallen into the realms of pastiche. By focusing on textures, materials and shape, we were able to add to its evolution and add personality and style onto the new design.”

The site, which is situated on the main road into the town, also had other design challenges to overcome that have influenced the design. The steep sloping topography has allowed for a 4 storey building to appear only 2 storeys at the road frontage, ensuring the development is not overbearing upon the street scene. Employing biophilic principles, the building opens up the hillside providing residents with clear access and views of the nearby allotments. The main living area enjoys a free flow of space leading directly to the terrace areas.

All 72 rooms have been designed with modern ensuites, communal living areas combine home comforts with the requirements of high-dependency nursing, and staff areas are spacious and airy.

James concluded: “We have worked in partnership with the developer and planners to bring our vision to life. The planners were delighted with our perceptive designs that revert the site back to its former street scene appearance and we look forward to seeing a piece of history reincarnated in the next guise of its life.”

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