Development

Newest development at Markham Vale starts on site

17th April 2019

Work has started on site at Henry Boot Developments’ newest addition to Markham Vale, a 55,000 sq ft industrial warehouse, ‘MV55’, which is being developed on a speculative basis.

Markham Vale is a 200-acre industrial and logistics development located at Junction 29A of the M1 in Derbyshire, a joint venture between Henry Boot Developments (HBD) and Derbyshire County Council.

One of the region’s most successful industrial locations, Markham Vale is home to the likes of Great Bear, Gist, Ferdinand Bilstein and Sterigenics.

This latest building fronts the M1 and includes flexible office space ranging from 2,500 sq ft – 5,000 sq ft alongside high-quality industrial facilities and 50 on-site parking spaces.

Andrew Priestley, Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Our decision to build our latest unit at Markham Vale on a speculative basis is very much a reflection of the strength of the market and continued demand for high-quality, well located industrial property. There is an acute shortage of good quality industrial space across the Yorkshire and East Midlands markets, particularly for buildings between 20,000 sq ft and 100,000 sq ft, resulting in a high degree of latent demand for new-build product like MV55.

“We currently have a total of 108,000 sq ft under construction at Markham Vale, with this latest unit scheduled to complete in September along with Protec International’s new purpose-built premises, which started on site last month. Initial conversations have been very positive – businesses are keen to capitalise on its location as well as the high-quality build, which is something occupiers can always count on from HBD.”

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said: “This is a great opportunity for another business to join our thriving Markham Vale site.”

“This plot has a lot to offer with great links to the M1 and a skilled workforce, high-quality industrial facilities and flexible office space.”

“We look forward to welcoming even more businesses at the site very soon and for those looking to relocate or expand, we still have opportunities available so please get in touch for more information.”

Plots of up to 15 acres remain available at Markham Vale and can accommodate flexible design and build units up to 300,000 sq ft.

Please click here to find out more about the opportunities available at MV55. Find out more about relocating to Markham Vale and investing in Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

New look Skills Bank launched

17th April 2019

A new look Skills Bank that puts employers from across the Sheffield City Region in charge of their own skills and training has been launched.

Skills Bank, delivered by Calderdale College, is a business led programme developed by the Local Enterprise Partnership and using devolved government funding, matches private sector investment with public funding to help businesses invest in their workforce and improve their productivity. Funding is available to businesses that make a strong case for how the investment will deliver growth.

The service which cuts through red tape and ushers in a new culture of flexible public-sector funding works with businesses to deliver bespoke, tailor made training. It is part of a wide-ranging business support offer available through the Sheffield City Region’s Growth Hub.

Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, said: “We’re a region that has some fantastic businesses and world class training facilities, including our Further Education Colleges, the National College for High Speed Rail and the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre. The Sheffield City Region Skills Bank is another important part of our work to build a skills system that delivers for businesses, communities and the economy.

Skills Bank is an example of an innovative locally designed solution and shows the benefits of devolving resources to local areas.”

James Muir, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Businesses tell us that publicly funded training for businesses can be hard to access and that the system is complicated. Skills Bank and our advisors can help businesses cut through this. This is good for the region, good for the profitability of businesses and helps grow the skills of our workforce. So long as a business can show that it helps boost productivity and grow our economy it should be a straightforward transaction. It’s win-win. I’m absolutely delighted that it has gone live.”

Ebrahim Dockrat, Director of Commercial Services and Partnerships at Calderdale College, said: “Skills Bank is a fantastic initiative for Sheffield City Region and we are thrilled to be in a position where we can support local businesses.

“Our focus will be on helping employers develop the skills they need to grow their business and we bring a huge amount of expertise from our many years of working closely with the Education and Skills Funding Agency on major funded training programmes.”

Businesses interested in accessing the Skills Bank can find out more at https://skillsbankscr.co.uk/

If you are an employer or a training provider and would like to find out more about Skills Bank, visit www.scrgrowthhub.co.uk/services/skills/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

Capital Funding available for Chesterfield businesses

16th April 2019

The D2N2 Capital Growth Fund is a new fund which offers capital grant support to small and medium-sized enterprises investing in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire.

Grant funding of between £1,500 and £10,000, up to a maximum of 30% of eligible project costs is available to businesses.

The fund will cover capital costs – for example machinery, equipment, IT hardware but cannot support vehicle purchases. The scheme cannot be used for revenue costs such as wages, rent, marketing or general running costs.

Businesses must be already trading and will be required to show how the project will enable employment growth.

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said “It is great to see that their is grant support available for businesses that are looking to grow. We would encourage Chesterfield and North Derbyshire based businesses that are planning capital projects to take advantage of this fund.”

Further guidance on the funding is available at https://www.emb-group.co.uk/media/2054/cgf-guidance-notes-programme-overview-v3.pdf

To register your interest in applying for the D2N2 Capital Growth Fund, please e-mail ERDFteam@embltd.co.uk, with the subject: “D2N2 Capital Growth Fund”.

Read about business support in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Investment in Chesterfield Roads Announced

16th April 2019

Derbyshire County Council is set to spend £100 million over the next five years improving the county’s roads including the A61 between Sheepbridge and Wingerworth.

The council has earmarked the cash to be spent on fixing potholes, resurfacing and surface dressing roads and pavements, repairing retaining walls, fixing drains, upgrading bridges and replacing worn-out traffic lights and lamp posts.

On Thursday 18 April, Derbyshire County councillors will be asked to approve the money – given to the council in the form of Government grants – to be spent between now and 2024.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said:

“Keeping Derbyshire moving by making sure the county’s roads remain in a good and safe condition remains a top priority for us.

“Because of new systems we now also have the most comprehensive information about the current condition of our road-related infrastructure meaning we can look ahead and take a more planned approach to fixing and improving our highways.”

Next year the council is set to spend around £23m. This will go towards resurfacing and surface dressing stretches of some of the county’s main roads including the A619 around Staveley,the A515 around Buxton and Ashbourne, the A57 Snake Pass, the A6 around Bakewell, and the A610 Ripley.

Around 40 more minor ‘B’ roads and 30 pavements countywide are also earmarked to be resurfaced or surface dressed.

General repairs to bridges, the installation of a new footbridge in Fenny Bentley and improvements along sections of the Trans Pennine, Skegby and Five Pits Trails and further upgrades to some cycle paths in the north east of the county are also set to take place.

Junction improvements, improved signage and extra anti-skid surfaces, have also been identified to improve road safety at various locations around the county.

•£933,000 towards improving roads, cycle paths and access routes to new housing developments along the A61 between Sheepbridge and Wingerworth;

•£1m towards the Woodville Swadlincote Regeneration Route to provide a link road to ease congestion between the A511 through the Tollgate Park site to the A514;

•£242,000 to work up further plans for the A515 Ashbourne Bypass;

•£550,000 to roll out electronic bus stop signs in Amber Valley and Erewash.

The remaining funding is set to be split over the following four years. Specific improvements have yet to be identified but are likely to include resurfacing and surface dressing local roads and pavements and tackling issues with bridges and retaining walls.

Chesterfield at night

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Spring has sprung on Chesterfield’s regeneration projects

9th April 2019

Chair of Destination Chesterfield, Peter Swallow shares his views in his latest Blog.

Spring has sprung, clocks have moved forward to British summer time, and the change in seasons very much reflects the progress Chesterfield is making with a number of key projects.

In keeping with the season, we are seeing the buds emerging on Chesterfield Waterside and Northern Gateway; and I am sure there will also be some later growth as the year progresses.

Making good progress is the Premier Inn hotel, located in the former Co-op building on Elder Way. This is opening this week following an extensive programme of refurbishment and will deliver 92 new hotel beds to Chesterfield’s growing visitor economy.

Just last year James Berresford, Chair of the Derbyshire Culture, Heritage, Arts and Tourism Board told us at the Chesterfield Investment Summit, that transforming just 5% of our day visitors into overnight stays would transform the town’s visitor economy. The opening of the new hotel at Elder Way and the additional hotels that will be created at Chesterfield Waterside and Peak Resort push us ever closer to becoming a destination for overnight guests.

Planning permission has also been granted for the three-storey Enterprise Centre on the Donut roundabout at Northern Gateway. The building will consist of 32 offices – a much-needed resource for the many start-up and small companies in Chesterfield. Just over the road, the new Saltergate car park is also due to open soon too, increasing and improving the parking offering for the town centre.

The town will also soon boast a newly constructed large office offering too. A Reserved Matters planning application has been submitted for a six-storey office building in Basin Square at Chesterfield Waterside, adjacent to the railway station. While the Enterprise Centre will be ideal for start-ups and small businesses, the ‘Grade A’ specification office accommodation at Waterside will have a large floorplate, helping the town attract established companies to relocate and invest here.

The development progress doesn’t stop in the town centre, either. A planning application has been submitted to build 700 new homes at the former Staveley Works steel site, as well as a primary school, shops and community facilities, new wildlife habitats and a cycle and footpath network.

For years we have talked about these developments and now they are finally happening. Large scale commercial developments and regeneration projects take a long time to come to fruition, and the construction element is often a shorter stage and the culmination of years of planning.

Often you have to take a step back to move forward. When you both live and work here, you can miss the huge progress we are making as a town in redeveloping and regenerating it for the future. The next time you are in Chesterfield town centre or travelling in the borough, make time to look at what has been achieved. I think you’ll be impressed.

Chesterfield is certainly a town of progress.

Posted in Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development

New Iceland Store Set to Open at Vicar Lane

3rd April 2019

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre in Chesterfield has announced the opening of a brand new Iceland store on Tuesday 16th April 2019.

The new store at Vicar Lane is in a prime location in the heart of the town’s shopping district, offering its customers a convenient alternative to the supermarket offer already in the town.

Shaun Brown, Centre Manager, Vicar Lane said, “We’re really excited to be welcoming Iceland into our store line up. We know how time-poor people are these days, so it’s great that we can now offer the convenience of a weekly food shop, with the appeal of our high street fashion and general ‘pleasure shopping’ offer.”

To celebrate the opening, Iceland will be handing out promotional leaflets offering its first customers £3 off when they spend £15 in store. There will also be the opportunity for customers to get their hands on a limited number of free chocolate twists throughout the day!

Iceland currently has over 900 stores in the UK and prides itself on being a convenient and friendly place to do the family’s weekly shop, as well as to meet everyone’s daily top-up shopping needs for fresh, chilled and frozen food.

The new store will be open from 8am – 6pm from Monday to Saturday and 10am – 4pm on Sundays and customers can expect to find the full range of fresh, chilled and frozen food that they’ve come to know and love from the UK leader in frozen food.

Find out more about shopping in Chesterfield.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Premier Inn get the keys to new hotel

2nd April 2019

The multi-million-pound transformation of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way in Chesterfield has been completed by Jomast Developments.

The fully accessible 92-bed hotel, which is located in the building’s upper two floors, has now been handed over to Premier Inn ahead of its opening by the hotel chain on 11 April 2019.

Occupying a pivotal site in the town centre, Elder Way is a landmark mixed-use leisure scheme, which is breathing life into the town’s famous 1930s, Mock-Tudor former Co-op.

The building was acquired by Jomast Developments in 2016 with work on the new hotel beginning last year. As part of the transformation, the building’s exterior has been restored to its former glory.

Premier Inn is the first occupier of the building and paves the way for Jomast to now transform the basement and ground floor into leisure and hospitality space.

Jomast is one of the UK’s leading property development, investment and regeneration specialists. The Chesterfield site is the company’s first development in Derbyshire.

Commenting on the handover to Premier Inn, Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast Developments said: “I am delighted that we have been able to preserve such an iconic building in Chesterfield. The position and location of the site at times has been challenging but our ongoing collaboration with Chesterfield Borough Council has enabled us to bring this much-loved building back into use. I am confident that Premier Inn will be a welcome addition to the town centre and the Northern Gateway Scheme.”

Marie Dukes-Brown, New Openings Project Manager for Premier Inn, said: “We have been seeking a presence in Chesterfield town centre for many years. Being a few days away from opening our doors is a really exciting moment for us, and we can’t wait to welcome the first guests to our latest format Premier Inn in the heart of town.

“Premier Inn hotels in market towns like Chesterfield trade really well. They appeal to a broad mix of business and leisure travellers throughout the year and as our style of accommodation is so flexible, we find that many of our guests eat and drink out when they stay with us, helping to support established businesses.

“Playing a positive role locally, including creating new jobs, and helping to bring the former Co-op store back to life is a win-win for us and we look forward to playing our part in the future success of the town centre.”

Thirty-eight jobs have been created at the new hotel, however jobs will be delivered by the Elder Way development as a whole once completed by Jomast.

Work will now begin on the transformation of the 16,000 sq ft basement and 21,000 sq ft ground floor area into leisure space which Jomast is targeting at independent operators. The ground floor units will all benefit from their own shop fronts/entrances. Additionally, Jomast will be creating a new courtyard area for outside eating/drinking. Chesterfield Borough Council will also shortly begin work to refurbish the public realm to the Elder Way frontage and widen public footpaths.

Mark added: “We are now in a position to move forward with phase 2 of Elder Way and the transformation of the basement and ground floor into self-contained units. We anticipate high interest from lifestyle and hospitality operators based in Chesterfield and the surrounding areas.”

The development is part of the Chesterfield Borough Council-led Northern Gateway scheme which will also see a new multi-storey car park completed later this year and work will begin on a new enterprise centre for small to medium sized businesses on part of the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Find out more about the development at Elder Way and the other commercial opportunities available.

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

Work has started for latest investor at Markham Vale

28th March 2019

Work has started on Sheffield-based Protec International’s new site, which is set to create up to 45 new jobs at Markham Vale.Protec International is the leading supplier of flame retardant temporary protection materials approved by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) to the construction industry.

Stephen Cox, Managing Director of Protec International, said:

“We look forward to moving into our new base at Markham Vale later this year, pushing ahead with our growth plans which will create up to 45 new jobs across both phases. The location couldn’t be better for accessing the national motorway network, and will allow us to continue delivering our range of building protection solutions to our construction industry clients on a next-day basis.”

The firm’s new warehouse and offices will be in addition to a number of bases across the country.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Councillor Tony King, said:

“It was great to meet Protec and visit where their new base will be at Markham Vale and we’re pleased work is now underway.“The firm will be a fantastic addition to the site and it’s great to hear they’re looking to create up to 45 new jobs for local people too.“Markham’s excellent location off Junction 29A of the M1 will be great for Protec and we’re pleased that the site continues to attract a range of companies that can grow and thrive there.”

The firm’s new 5.39 acre base with opportunity to expand is set to be completed by September and will be designed and built by the county council’s private sector property partner, Henry Boot Developments (HBD) on Markham Vale North.

Andrew Priestley, Development Surveyor at Henry Boot Developments (HBD), said:

“It’s great to see work starting on site – with its combination of high-quality, purpose-built property and an unrivalled location and transport links, we’ve no doubt that Markham Vale will prove the ideal base for Protec as the business grows and continues to expand its team. Working to a 26-week timeline, we look forward to completing the Protec development in September.”

Plots of up to 15 acres are still available at Derbyshire County Council and Henry Boot Developments’ flagship regeneration site and can accommodate flexible design and build unit options up to 300,000 sq ft.

Find out more about Markham Vale

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development

Amazon to create 200 new permanent jobs with the opening of a new fulfilment centre in Chesterfield

27th March 2019

Amazon today announced plans to open a new fulfilment centre in Chesterfield and begin recruitment for more than 200 new permanent jobs. Amazon’s new investment will help meet customer demand, expand selection and enable SMEs selling on Amazon Marketplace to scale their businesses.

“We are delighted to open a new Amazon building in Chesterfield and begin recruitment for more than 200 new permanent roles with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one,” said Stefano Perego, Amazon’s VP of UK Customer Fulfilment. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming a new team, who will play a crucial role in delivering a first rate level of service for our customers.”

Amazon fulfilment centre employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits from day one. Pay starts at £10.50 in the London area and £9.50 for the rest of the UK for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees working in the company’s fulfilment centres. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than £700 annually, as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon also offers employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.

Bolsover District Council’s Chief Executive Dan Swaine said, “This is great news and welcome boost for the area. This new warehouse will create 200 permanent jobs in the area, meaning significant opportunities for local people and to attract a company like Amazon is good news for the local economy and the future of the District.”

Amazon has started recruiting for a range of new roles for the fulfillment centre, which will be located in Barlborough, including operations managers, engineers, HR and IT specialists. Recruitment for the Amazon team in Chesterfield who will pick, pack and ship customer orders will begin later this year. People interested in applying for jobs at Amazon should visit www.myamazonjob.com/fulfillment-centers/chesterfield

Chesterfield and North Derbyshire is centrally located and continues to attract high profile fulfillment and distributions operations to the area. To find out more about investing in the area visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/invest

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield reveals plans to create a successful post digital high street

21st March 2019

Chesterfield has the raw ingredients to adapt and thrive in the face of the national ‘retail apocalypse,’ claims the new owner of the town’s Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, ALTERIS.

“People still want shops, but,” said Bert Broadhead, director of ALTERIS, “curating them better and creating a personalised experience for town centre visitors is the key to a successful post digital high street.”

Mr Broadhead was speaking at the town’s popular annual Celebrate Chesterfield event, organised by Destination Chesterfield, and held on Wednesday 20 March at the Winding Wheel.

The property fund company now has ambitious plans to transform the town’s Vicar Lane Shopping Centre which it bought out of administration last month. It plans to create ‘a new town centre retail model for the post e-commerce world’.

He added: “Chesterfield is already ahead of many town centres in the UK in terms of delivering a town centre experience to visitors. People no longer want identical, faceless town centres. They want a variety and mix of shops – both chain and independent stores as well as events which can engage the whole family.”

Plans to develop Vicar Lane have been driven using Facebook, which ALTERIS is using to engage the local community and help them inform the redevelopment of the shopping centre.

Colour, seating, events and high speed internet are all set to be introduced to Vicar Lane Shopping Centre over the next six months. ALTERIS has also identified independent retailers as being key to the future success of the shopping centre.

Appealing to independent retailers attending the packed event, Bert added: “We want to work with local, independent retailers and have made a number of units available with short term flexible leases to support them.” Work on the new look Vicar Lane will start later this year.

Supporting the drive to regenerate Chesterfield town centre, Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council revealed that the council will be submitting an application to the government’s Future High Streets Fund to sustain and grow footfall on the high street. As part of the funding bid, Chesterfield Borough Council plans to introduce universal Wi-Fi provision across the town centre.

He said: “Our retail occupancy levels are holding up well – 92 per cent compared to 88 per cent nationally, however, it’s a journey and we need to keep going.”

Huw explained: “UK shopping habits have changed and Chesterfield is responding well to this in the town centre masterplan by encouraging more people to live within the town centre and create that all important footfall and buzz. We want to make Chesterfield town centre a very desirable place to live, work, play and do business.”

Last year the council approved plans to convert the former magistrates court into 32 apartments, create 10 apartments at 1-3 Knifesmithgate, demolish the former headquarters of North East Derbyshire District Council to make way for 64 retirement homes, and convert the historic building at 87 New Square into nine luxury apartments.

Celebrate Chesterfield, now in its ninth year, is one of the biggest and most hotly anticipated business events in the area. This year the free breakfast event attracted nearly 300 delegates.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “We must not underestimate the power of town centre living to increase footfall to enable us to adapt to the changing face of retail.

“Chesterfield is a town of opportunity and we have the partners and collaboration in place to drive forward our ambitions to not only deliver our current development plans but also attract further investment.”

The University of Derby was this year’s headline sponsor with Central Technology and Markham Vale – Derbyshire’s flagship regeneration scheme, as associate sponsors.

To keep up-to-date with developments in Chesterfield, please visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/developments

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Chesterfield’s Premier Inn development offers employment to local people

20th March 2019

Chesterfield College and Premier Inn have joined together to offer a sector based work academy offering work experience opportunities for local people to gain the skills they need to be offered employment at the new 92 bed hotel on Elder Way which is soon to be handed over by Jomast Developments when work is completed in transforming the former department store.

Sixty local people joined the academy which is supported by Chesterfield Borough Council with a guaranteed interview at the end of the course. Of these, 20 were offered jobs at the hotel.

Councillor Terry Gilby, cabinet member for economic growth: said “One of the council’s key priorities is to create a thriving borough.”

“For a long period after the Chesterfield Co-operative closed down we had an empty, derelict building. Jomast Developments is in the process of completely transforming it into a 92 bed Premier Inn hotel which is offering new jobs for local people which is positive news for the borough.”

Lee Kirton, Chesterfield College’s work skills delivery manager, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for local people. We’ve been working with the local Job Centre Plus and the borough council to put on a sector-based work academy.

“It’s been a fantastic success for the learners, ourselves and the local Job Centre Plus.”

Mark Hill, commercial property director of Jomast Developments, which is leading the transformation of the former Co-operative department store, said:

“Although not yet complete, the new Premier Inn will be a fantastic environment for the new team to work in. It’s light, airy and contemporary. The team and I are looking forward to handing over the building to Premier Inn shortly.”

Further jobs will be created in the former Co-operative department store in when work is completed by Jomast Developments on the basement and ground floor of the building into leisure and dining space.

The development is part of the Chesterfield Borough Council-led Northern Gateway development which will also see a new Saltergate multi-storey car park and a new enterprise centre for small to medium sized businesses on part of the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

Find out more about the Northern Gateway

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development