More details emerge about council’s acquisition of Chesterfield Hotel site

On Monday, the council revealed it had ‘taken a part freehold, part leasehold interest’ in the Malkin Street site and would now work with contractors to clear out and demolish the derelict building.

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Now further information about this has been released.

A council spokesperson said: “The council has purchased approximately half of the site freehold, and therefore owns that outright, and the other half we have leased from the owners for up to ten years.

“This provides the council with control over the whole site, while we develop proposals for the future of the area.

“We received £1million grant funding to pay for the site but that funding also covers the cost of securing the site and the demolition works.”

The funding is from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, an organisation which receives money from the Government and the European Union.

We asked the council if the £1m grant funding also covers the costs associated with the lease.

The council spokesperson said: “Some elements of setting the lease up are covered.

“The lease agreement and associated terms are linked to us continuing to operate a temporary car parking facility but they are currently confidential.”

Work to demolish the former hotel building is set to start next spring.

A temporary car park is expected to be created in its place while proposals for the site’s future are developed as part of HS2 plans.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of the council, said of the acquisition: “This is a major step forward for our long-term plan to harness the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to us by HS2.

“To make the most of it we must invest in the delivery of new housing as well as business and commercial development around Chesterfield station.”

The news came in the week some MPs voiced concerns that the high-speed rail line could terminate at East Midlands Parkway near Nottingham.

However, Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “I know there have been rumours that the Government has scrapped the eastern leg in favour of focusing on the west.

“I can confirm that is simply not true.”

Chesterfield Hotel – which was bought by Prestige Hotels (Midlands) Ltd in 2017 – opened in 1877 and closed in 2015.

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