Highly-anticipated redevelopment of Chesterfield site set to move a step closer

A report to Chesterfield Borough Council's cabinet next Tuesday recommends that the location is used for an all-weather artificial sports pitch, with the surrounding area restored to parkland.

If councillors support the proposal, work will be carried out to enable a planning application to be submitted in early 2018, seeking permission to:

► Install a 55 metres x 33 metres 3G all-weather artificial sports pitch suitable for seven-a-side matches, which can also be split up for two five-a-side matches. According to the borough council, this will help meet a need identified by Sport England for artificial pitches within the borough and supports efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of residents;

► Restore the surrounding area to parkland so the site is landscaped to merge in with the existing Grade II-listed park.

Before a planning application could be submitted, a heritage assessment would need to be completed to study how well the proposal would fit in with the Grade II-listed park.

RELATED STORY: Looking back at Queen's Park Sports CentreThe old Queen's Park Sports Centre was demolished earlier this year.

The centre closed at the end of December 2015, a few days before the new £11.25million Queen's Park Sports Centre opened further up Boythorpe Avenue in January.

The recommendation to councillors follows the completion of a detailed business case which looked at various options for the site, taking in to account the views given during the public consultation held in autumn.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, the borough council's deputy leader, said: "Queen's Park is one of the most popular recreation areas in Chesterfield and this is an opportunity to make it even better.

"The artificial sports pitch would be flexible so it can be used for one seven-a-side match or split up so two five-a-side matches can happen at the same time, which will increase the opportunities for residents to use it.

"Having a pitch like this will help us meet some of the need for artificial sports pitches in the borough which Sport England has identified, while also generating an income to pay for its maintenance, running and the security measures that we want to put in place."

If cabinet members back the plan next week, the matter will go to a full council meeting in mid-December for a final decision.