Some entrepreneurs have argued their views have been overlooked and ignored as they have been struggling to maintain and improve their businesses during Chesterfield council’s roll-out of a multi-million pound Staveley regeneration scheme.
The Government-funded £25.2m Staveley Town Deal includes plans for the council’s Staveley 21 Project for the town centre with a new pavilion and Market Place revamp, High Street and Market Place upgrades, new shop fronts, a mixed-use Staveley Town Basin centre, near Hall Lane, and the Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle centre near Barrowhill Roundhouse.
A proposed new commercial centre called The Pavilion Building is planned as part of the Staveley 21 Project with a scheme to rejuvenate the High Street with shop front improvements 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.
However, five business people have criticised the plans with concerns the Staveley Town Deal Board has not included any Staveley business representatives and it has overlooked and ignored input from Staveley residents and businesses.
Keith Bannister, property owner and owner of Harley’s bar and accommodation, said: “When the ‘£26m’ was given to Staveley and when I found out Chesterfield Borough Council was looking after it I went to (former NE Derbyshire Conservative) MP Lee Rowley and I told him there was ‘£26m’ which will be misused and it will not do Staveley any good and he said he would watch it but he is not the MP now.”
Mr Bannister added: “I looked at it and there was no one who worked, lived or had a business in Staveley on the Staveley Town Deal Board but the board is making the decisions about Staveley.”
He also claims the council held a vote for one of a number of concerned businesses to be considered to go on the board but the council voted against the idea.
David Bannister, builder and owner of Beechers Brook pub and accommodation, said: “It should have been a business owner from Staveley who was on the board because we are the people involved and it would have been in the board’s interests.”
He is also concerned that after work on the Staveley Basin Development has been given the go-ahead he fears businesses who have been looking forward to shop front improvements may be overlooked and ignored.
Paula Smith, of Hair with Attitude, on Market Street, near Market Place, said: “The majority of stuff that the council comes up with – it is not that it is not ideal – but because they keep us off the board and do not involve local people who care, it never goes anywhere.”
Keith Bannister and others fear the borough council has overlooked and ignored Staveley Town Council because of a conflict of interest because they claim the borough council wants what is best for Chesterfield in terms of investing in Staveley buildings that will see a financial return to the council rather than investing in projects that will see money going back into Staveley.
They also claim the borough council is only revamping the Market Place square land up to the shops and is not investing in helping businesses with shop building improvements because they previously sold off the land where the shops are to pay for the Healthy Living Centre so the revamp will end there.
Keith Bannister said: “The Town Deal should have been given to Staveley Town Council not the board but there is a conflict of interest because they want people going to Chesterfield and not shopping in Staveley.”
Paula Smith has also said that the borough council’s plan for the Market Place square shop front upgrades is superficial because nearly all the shops are badly maintained buildings with leaking roofs that are so bad one business is thinking about moving and she claimed this is why a chemist has also moved to High Street.
Ms Smith said: “We have been paying rent and I have had no maintenance done so the shops we are stuck with are badly maintained buildings with leaking roofs constantly.”
She described the council’s shop front upgrade scheme as ‘candy-coating s**t’ because she claims no work is planned on actually improving the buildings’ maintenance.
Even with the offer of a grant from the borough council worth 20per cent of any project, Ms Smith argued that this would be pointless if it is not going to change her business inside.
Ms Smith said: “We should have got a new square, new shops and new buildings but we have still got the same buildings.”
She added that businesses have got through Covid and come back fighting but she fears the Staveley Town Deal plans will not bring in the support the shops and businesses on Market Place need.
Keith, David and builder Simon Bannister claim the borough council has also stalled in paying out Town Deal business grant funding for as long as 14 and 15 months while small businesses have started extensive work on the promise of supportive grants that have not yet been not forthcoming.
They also claim they have been told their grants will be smaller amounts than originally expected when the borough council had said they could have been up to as much as £50,000 each.
David Bannister claims he has got underway with four business schemes in anticipation of receiving grant money and while he is currently out of pocket he says he has still not received the grant and that he has been told he is scheduled to receive just £14,000 across the four schemes.
He said: “We have asked how much they have allocated to the shop front grant scheme but they won’t tell us and they say it is ‘commercially sensitive’.
“We have spent money and now there is only £14,000 left in the pot to split between four jobs. There should have been an information board at the Healthy Living Centre stating how much was to be allocated with grants, who was to be allocated and how much each applicant was getting so we would not have tried for the money if there was nothing in the pot.”
The concerned business people, including builder Billy Cooney, say they support Staveley but the borough council is not helping them and others to continue doing that because the views, advice and expertise of Staveley businesses have been overlooked and ignored to allow the council to put in schemes that will support the authority and Chesterfield but not Staveley.
Staveley Town Cllr Paul Mann said he is also concerned because he claims the borough council is setting up buildings that will see rent and money going back to them and not into the town.
He believes the Government Town Deal funding should have gone to an independent town board which could have been left to run the scheme independently from the borough council.
Cllr Mann said: “Chesterfield Town Hall has yet again forgotten that there are two towns in the borough, Staveley town and Chesterfield town, and has yet again wasted Staveley town’s money on its own project ignoring Staveley towns residents and businesses.”
He has also repeatedly raised concerns about the location of the Town Deal’s proposed Pavilion Building because he fears it could block the view of Staveley Town Council’s weekly market and he has further worries about how the scheme will open up the High Street.
However, the Staveley 21 Project does include 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.
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, with better Wifi and further shop improvements.
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.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s Head of Growth Stephen Wenlock previously told Staveley Town Council that the Staveley 21 Project aims to secure an increased footfall in the town centre.
Mr Wenlock outlined key principles for the town’s overall Master Plan including a 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.
Chesterfield Borough Council has stated previously that it wants to get more people into High Street and it does not want to block off Market Place.
Borough Cllr Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, also previously confirmed that £600,000 was made available as part of the scheme to support shop owners and landlords to make improvements to their premises.
The council also confirmed that updates on the Staveley 21 Project, and details about drop-in sessions for residents and businesses, and information on the Shop Front Improvement Grant Scheme have all been made available on the council’s website.
Ivan Fomin, Chairperson of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “The Staveley Town Deal is once in a generation opportunity to transform Staveley and is helping to create new opportunities for training and employment, improve community facilities and enhance Staveley as place to live, work and visit.
“It is an ambitious programme that was initially shared with the public in 2020 when a series of public sessions and events were held to provide feedback on the Town Investment Plan, this included sessions with young people, a public survey and direct engagement with community groups.
“All projects within the programme were required to produce a detailed
business case which have been subject to scrutiny from both the Town Deal Board and the Government.
“We have followed the Government’s guidance in establishing the Staveley Town Deal Board, with members selected to represent the interests of all the sectors that operate within Staveley – business, education, health, employment, and community.
“There are also five elected representatives including Staveley’s two MPs.
“The regeneration of Staveley town centre was subject to further public consultation and a planning application. We have regularly engaged with businesses throughout the planning phases and continue to do this now we are delivering the project.
“It aims to transform the area and create a more welcoming environment for shoppers to visit local businesses and market traders but also support other activities like events and community gatherings.
“The Shop Front Improvement Grant Scheme was launched in March, 2023, as an expansion of the Staveley 21 project and the guidance provided to businesses has been consistent throughout this period.
“Proposals have been considered on a first come first served basis and currently more than half a million pounds has been committed to schemes. All funding has gone to independent traders within Staveley, and will cover 27 units across the town centre when all works are complete.
“Throughout the Town Deal programme, we have been open and transparent with local residents and businesses, we have tried to bring people together, listen to concerns that have been raised and find appropriate solutions.
“We are now firmly in the delivery phase of the programme with almost all projects currently in construction or complete, but we will continue to engage directly with residents and businesses to ensure that this investment has
a wide-reaching positive impact on Staveley.”
Concerned Staveley Business People, Left To Right, Paula Smith, Keith Bannister, David Bannister, Simon Bannister, Billy Cooney And Briony Cooney,
