Over 300 reasons to celebrate Chesterfield with hundreds of new businesses started in the town

Chesterfield’s Covid recovery has been boosted by a range of new businesses - with 310 more in the town than there were before the pandemic started.
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At the Celebrate Chesterfield event on Wednesday, March 23, it was announced that a series of start-ups, as well as consolidation and inward investment, had left Chesterfield with 310 more businesses than it had prior to March 2020.

Dr Huw Bowen, chief executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’ve come through the pandemic in pretty good shape and demand for commercial space has gone through the roof.

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“However, the Levelling Up funding is important to getting our high street back to where we want it to be. We need to work together like never before post-pandemic.”

Chesterfield’s business community is thriving as the town recovers from the pandemic.Chesterfield’s business community is thriving as the town recovers from the pandemic.
Chesterfield’s business community is thriving as the town recovers from the pandemic.

Chesterfield has received nearly £20m of Levelling Up funding to transform Chesterfield town centre. The funding, which is being matched by £6m of investment from Chesterfield Borough Council, will underpin the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield improvement plan.

The delivery of the improvement plan is expected to increase land value in the town centre by 16% and shop occupancy levels to more than 90%, resulting in increased spending. This will support the creation of around 100 new jobs in the town centre.

Dr Bowen said: “We’re immensely grateful for the Levelling Up funding. It will make a big difference to the town centre to support our growth ambitions.”

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The Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield programme will see key spaces in the town centre regenerated and reimagined, including Market Place, New Square, Burlington Street and Packers Row, Corporation Street and the George Stephenson Memorial Hall.

The refurbishment and remodelling of the George Stephenson Memorial Hall will bring together a theatre, cinema, bar, café and exhibition space in one asset to allow greater cultural inclusion and participation.

In addition to the creation of new outdoor dwelling and entertainment space, the town centre will have a new lighting strategy and greater data connectivity to enable digital wayfinding, smart street lighting, predictive maintenance and environmental monitoring.

Dr Bowen added: “We want to celebrate the town’s identity and spaces and seating for people and events in the public realm that will encourage people to stay and dwell longer and spend more in the town.”