Plans to invest almost £20m in Chesterfield over the next decade have taken a major step forward, with the launch of a new independent board which will oversee how and where the funding is spent. Local business leader Dominic Staniforth has been appointed to chair the new Chesterfield Town Board – sitting alongside representatives from other local businesses, community and voluntary organisations, and the public sector, including representation from Chesterfield Borough Council. It follows the Government’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ announcement in October last year, which named Chesterfield as one of 55 UK towns to benefit from the new funding initiative – which aims to give local communities a greater voice in shaping improvements across the town. Board members have now held their first formal meeting where it was agreed to run a public consultation exercise in June, giving local people the chance to have their say on how the money should be invested. In line with Government guidance, a representative of Chesterfield Borough Council sits on the board, and the authority will also act as the board’s accountable body. However, all decisions about how the £19.5m worth of endowment-style funding is invested will be made by the Chesterfield Town Board, in consultation with local people. Dominic Staniforth is a partner at BHP LLP Chartered Accountants – which has a base at One Waterside Place – and has been an active part of Chesterfield’s business community for many years. He said: “Chesterfield is already a great town full of wonderful people and organisations that share a common purpose to make it even better – a place to live, work, invest and study – and this funding will further bolster our ability to deliver on that collective ambition. “I am honoured to have been invited to become chair of the new Chesterfield Town Board and it’s fantastic that leaders from across the town, and the council, have already begun work to identify how and where this funding could make the greatest impact for local residents and businesses. “Listening to the views of local people and understanding where they think this investment could make the biggest difference is at the heart of this work and we will be sharing more information about how to get involved in the coming weeks.” Working closely with the council, the Board will now oversee the development of a long-term vision statement and three-year investment plan – to be developed following consultation with local people, and based on what they see as priority areas for investment. This must be submitted to the Government for approval later this summer. Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of the council, said: “We have really strong and innovative business and community networks here in Chesterfield and this is again another great opportunity to bring people together – backed by millions of pounds worth of funding – to deliver projects which will make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives over the next 10 years. “We’re delighted to welcome Dominic to the role of chair, as a local business leader with extensive experience of the area, and a shared passion and commitment to make the town of Chesterfield thrive for generations to come.” In line with Government guidance, the funding must be spent across three key themes, which include: safety and security (to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour), high streets, heritage, and regeneration (making the place more attractive and accessible to residents, businesses, and visitors), transport and connectivity (improving access to the town centre, supporting greener modes of travel and enhancing public transport options).

Mather Jamie has returned to sponsor the East Midlands Bricks Awards for another year, backing the Architects of the Year category for the 2024 event. The well established and specialist land development and property consultancy, based in Loughborough, prides itself on providing a comprehensive range of director-led advisory services to landowners, occupiers, developers and investors nationwide. One of the East Midlands’ leading commercial and agricultural surveyors and valuers, Mather Jamie’s principal services include strategic land development advice, acting as rural estate managers and letting agents, and commercial property agents. Speaking with Business Link, Amy Biddell, director at Mather Jamie, said: “This is Mather Jamie’s second year of sponsoring the Bricks Awards. The event is a great way to promote our services to an elite audience of landowners, property developers and building contractors. It’s great to be able to celebrate in a room full of like mind businesses who share a passion for the East Midlands construction sector.” Offering advice to those entering Mather Jamie’s sponsored category, Amy added: “For architects looking to submit an application, we will be looking for them to demonstrate an understanding of planning regulations so that development meets approval. Sustainability and biodiversity are hot keywords within the industry, so we will be looking for entries to showcase an innovative approach to sustainable working practices, which meet development briefs. “Other points to consider include;

1. Design ethos that shows sympathy to local aesthetics
2. Consideration for ecology/environment
3. Ease of construction without too many modifications to design or materials
4. Demonstrate client satisfaction
5. Schemes that also benefit the local community.”

The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, recognise development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes, schools and public spaces. We also highlight the work of architects, agencies and those behind large schemes. Winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly. To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page. A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening of celebration and networking with property and construction leaders from across the region. Tickets can be booked for the 2024 awards event here. Connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Thanks to our sponsors:      

             

To be held at:

Nottingham-based East Midlands Environmental Consultants (EMEC) has been enlisted by  retirement developer and operator, Inspired Villages, to conduct biodiversity net gain (BNG) calculations and offer recommendations on best practice. Established in 2017, Inspired Villages currently operates nine communities nationwide and has head offices in Edwalton Business Park, Nottingham. Dedicated to environmental sustainability and social impact, Inspired Villages has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon in unregulated energy across all its villages by 2030. Demonstrating this commitment, all projects initiated since 2022 underwent biodiversity Net Gain assessments, positioning the company favourably for the mandatory BNG legislation changes implemented in February 2024. To support Inspired Villages in their environmental objectives, EMEC has been engaged to provide Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain calculations, assessing habitat units across their sites and suggesting improvements to enhance biodiversity. The recommendations made have been tailored to each village dependant on the habitats present and their current condition and will include the planting of native species and managing habitats in such a way to enhance biodiversity. Other recommendations unrelated to BNG but that will still enhance biodiversity on the villages have also been recommended, these include the installation of bat and bird boxes and insect hotels. Speaking on behalf of Inspired Villages, James Wilcox, Head of Sustainability, said: “Our pursuit of Net Zero is closely tied to the natural world and biodiversity is crucial for residents’ health and wellbeing. “By aiming to be ‘nature positive by 2030,’ we strive to rejuvenate ecosystems rather than witness their decline. With EMEC’s assistance, we’re committed to ensuring our new developments create more valuable natural spaces than they did previously.” Jake Hill, Ecologist at EMEC, said: “Collaborating with Inspired Villages on this project has been extremely rewarding. Enhancing biodiversity not only benefits the environment but also enhances the quality of life for village residents.”