New pictures show £6m town centre improvement scheme for Staveley - as Chesterfield council chief formally rolls-out revised plan

The council’s Staveley 21 Project for Staveley town centre and its Market Place is one of many projects tied into the council’s overall Government-funded £25.2m Staveley Town Deal regeneration scheme for the town.

Council Chief Executive Huw Bowen told Staveley Town Council at its council meeting, at The Speedwell Rooms, on September 26, during the first official long-awaited announcement of the plans that the Staveley 21 Project has secured further funding now totaling around £6m for Staveley’s High Street and Market Place upgrades.

Amidst concerns from Staveley Town Councillor Paul Mann that the Staveley 21 Project’s plans for a commercial centre called the Pavilion Building may cut-off or block-off the market square area for traders, Mr Bowen offered reassurances that this would not be the intention.

He told the Staveley councillors: “Now is a good time for Staveley and it’s great to see what you are doing with the Market Place and to see it take off, and we are encouraged to see that as well, and we will not be hindering your ambitions in terms of the proposals for Staveley town centre.”

Mr Bowen said that around £4.86m had originally been allocated for the Staveley 21 Project plans but further funding has been secured taking the total to around £6m which means the plans have been further upgraded and revised delaying the formal announcement until September 26.

He added: “We have £5m allocated and we have designed what we thought we could afford with the original designs and then there is an opportunity to get more money and that was why we were reluctant to talk, and we could have excited you and then disappointed you all, but the money is there and there are revised proposals.”

The Staveley 21 project includes plans for a proposed new commercial centre called The Pavilion Building, plans to rejuvenate the High Street with a shop front improvement scheme and new paving and a public realm, and there are also plans for improved connections between the canal and the town centre with new lighting and signage.

New plans feature improved designs for the Pavilion building, a better Market Place design, an improved passive offer area with open space for events and gatherings, and making the area Wifi enabled with further shop improvements which have so far attracted over 30 expressions of interest.

There are also plans for a tiered outdoor seating to support outdoor theatre and open-air cinema screenings, with play equipment to help make the marketplace more attractive to families.

New paving, lighting, street furniture and planting will also be planned to help create an enhanced atmosphere and visitor experience at any time of day or night whilst new signage will help connect the town centre with Staveley’s other visitor attractions including the Chesterfield Canal and Staveley Hall.

Mr Bowen said there will be engagement by talking to people including retailers to get feedback on the proposals and it is hoped the Staveley 21 Project and the overall Staveley Town Deal will create hundreds of jobs.

It is also hoped, according to Mr Bowen, that the proposals will be considered by Chesterfield Borough Council by the start of 2024 and once the planning process is completed on-site construction work may start later on in the same year.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Head of Growth Stephen Wenlock also told Staveley Town Council that the Staveley 21 Project aims to secure an increased footfall in the town centre.

He said: “There is a great opportunity here for the town centre with growth on the doorstep and with best intentions we can support a better offer and diversity of use and a greater footfall in the town.”

Mr Wenlock outlined key principles for the town’s overall Master Plan including a right mix of uses, changing perceptions of Staveley, improving its appearance and character, improving connectivity and future-proofing the area by supporting the Market Place, High Street and helping Market Street and Duke Street.

He added: “We believe it’s affordable and we believe it’s going to create an impact and we have designed it to create a platform for the Master Plan and create growth for the future.”

As part of the wider Staveley Vision Master Plan, Mr Bowen also said that Staveley will benefit further after Derbyshire County Council has secured £170m to support the planned Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route, and there are plans for a growth corridor with a 150 hectares of brownfield land for development, as well as plans for the Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle Centre, at Barrowhill.

Staveley Town Cllr Paul Mann raised concerns about the location of the proposed Pavilion Building because he fears it could block the view of Staveley Town Council’s weekly market.

He feels the Pavilion building could block off the market square from the main road so passers-by will not be able to see any events, markets or new shops.

Cllr Mann told the meeting: “If you can produce that crack-on, but I have reservations about the building because it was blocking High Street off.”

He added: “I think it’s a new building and it looks good but I do not see how it is going to open up the High Street.”

Cllr Mann also urged Chesterfield Borough Council to consider the provision of toilets, CCTV and visibility, and that a public consultation is key as the borough council scheme moves forward.

Mr Bowen said there is time to refine the designs and Chesterfield Borough Council wants to get more people into High Street and it does not want to block off Market Place.

He also explained that any income from the Chesterfield Borough Council Pavilion Building would help the borough council with this building’s maintenance.

Staveley Town Cllr Barry Dyke said he did not think the new plans for Market Place would block off the markets and he added that he was happy with the revised Staveley 21 Project.

As part of the Staveley Town Deal, Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee has also recently approved Derbyshire County Council’s application for a new mixed-use Staveley Town Basin centre with car parking, landscaping and related works at the Staveley Basin Development area, on Hall Lane, Staveley.

The proposed Pavilion Building, which will ideally sit between between the Staveley Miners Welfare building and Staveley High Street, has also been earmarked by Derbyshire County Council as a posible new location for Staveley Library under proposals to relocate the library from Hall Lane in the town.

Chesterfield Borough Cllr Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “We know everyone has been keen to see the council’s proposals for Staveley town centre and I’m delighted that we are now able to share these. As a package the proposals seek to enhance the town centre – opening it up for new uses that will encourage more people to visit whilst also supporting existing retailers, market traders and high street businesses.”

She added: “Town centres across the country are changing and our proposals reflect this need to adapt. We have already secured a main contractor to deliver the project and our aim is to achieve planning permission in Spring 2024. In line with the Government’s requirements, we plan to be on site in Autumn 2024 and for all of the construction work to have been completed by the end of 2025.

“Ahead of this, we are committed to carrying out extensive engagement on the proposals to ensure that we capture the views of all stakeholders and make appropriate adjustments ahead of submitting the necessary planning application.

“We’re also still seeking applications for the shop front grant scheme which we launched in February. A total sum of £600k is available to support shop owners and landlords to make improvements to their premises.”

Updates about the Staveley 21 project, details about drop-in sessions for residents and businesses, and information on the Shop Front Improvement Grant Scheme will be available on the council’s website www.chesterfield.gov.uk/staveley-21.

Ivan Fomin, chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “The delivery of the Staveley 21 project is a big first step towards realising the Staveley Town Centre Vision Masterplan which received strong public support in November 2021. It’s exciting to see Chesterfield Borough Council move the project forward move into this next phase, which reflects the Staveley Town Deal Board’s vision and ambition for Staveley town centre. These are significant proposals which will ensure Staveley town centre is a place where local people and visitors will want to spend time whilst also supporting local businesses to grow not only now but in the future.”