Why Chesterfield town centre could recover from coronavirus crisis quicker than others

Chesterfield could prove more resilient than other town centres during the coronavirus crisis and recover quicker from the pandemic, a report has claimed.
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The Local Data Company’s study, ‘The Impact of Covid-19 on UK Town and City Centres’, suggests Chesterfield is better placed than many other towns to cope with the devastating economic effects of the lockdown.

It says ‘more resilient town centres will be those less exposed to the intense challenge leisure occupiers face by the prolonged lockdown’.

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Fifteen of the top 100 town centres have an undersupply of leisure compared to the UK average, with Chesterfield being one of the largest of the 15.

The report adds: “Out of those 15 with an undersupply of leisure, Peterborough, Chesterfield, Rotherham and Enfield also appear among the top 10 towns with the highest percentage of essential retail which is still able to trade, which will add strength to these towns.”

There are also warnings within the report, however, that the impact of the pandemic will be devastating for all towns and cities.

“Food-to-go hubs around heavily populated office zones will undoubtedly be adversely impacted long term, with working from home likely to become mainstream practise as workers adapt to remote working and shifting work patterns,” researchers say.

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“An increase in unemployment is sadly inevitable which will dent consumer spend and we will see fewer people eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

The report adds: “Recovery of the hospitality sector will be heavily dependent on the broader impact on the economy and changes to disposable income.”