Chesterfield Borough Council has argued it has followed guidelines to ensure all sectors of Staveley have been represented during preparations for the town’s multi-million pound regeneration scheme despite complaints from businesses and town councillors that they have been overlooked.
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 building 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.
But after five business people criticised the plans with concerns the Staveley Town Deal Board has not included any Staveley business representatives, Staveley Town Councillors, Mick Bagshaw and Paul Mann, have claimed that Staveley Town Council has also been ignored.
Cllr Bagshaw said: “It’s not only businesses and residents that have not been consulted. Staveley Town Councillors have been totally ignored even after I attended the pre-work meeting in Market square, where there were up to 10 consultants or council officers, which seemed overpowering for members of the public to approach.”
Fellow Staveley Town Councillor, Paul Mann, has also stated that Chesterfield Town Hall has forgotten that there are two towns in the borough and he has claimed the borough council has ‘wasted Staveley town’s money’ on its own project ignoring Staveley town’s residents.
Some business people previously argued input from Staveley residents and businesses has been ignored due to a suspected 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.
But the council responded with a statement from Ivan Fomin, Chairperson of the Staveley Town Deal Board, stressing that it has followed Government guidance in establishing the board with members selected to represent the interests of ‘all the sectors’ that operate within Staveley – business, education, health, employment, and community with five elected representatives including Staveley’s two MPs.
Mr Fomin added the scheme has been subject to a further public consultation and a planning application and has regularly engaged with businesses throughout the planning phases and continues to do this to transform the area for shoppers to visit businesses and market traders while supporting events and community gatherings.
He also stressed the board will continue to engage directly with residents and businesses to ensure that this investment has a wide-reaching positive impact on Staveley.
However, Cllr Bagshaw said, concerning initial plans for the Market Place square: “The first plan of which I suggested was an enclosed market square to have an all-weather market and an attractive secure unit to help attract footfall was more acceptable and of benefit to residents and businesses.
“Somewhere along the line this idea went in the rubbish bin and we got left with the present scheme which will be of benefit to Chesterfield Borough Council as they will get the rent from the units – not Staveley residents.”
He added: “Instead of something useful, we are getting a proposed play area, steps to encourage anti-social behaviour and shrubbery that once again will not get maintained.
“I pointed all this out and that their scheme will do nothing but attract an area for the gathering of anti-social behaviour, just the same as the development in the 1960s or 70s where they had to remove the blocks.
“When I challenged the consultants all they said was ‘well, it works in other areas’.
“Sorry, what works in other areas might not work here. The only thing that will work is listening to people who live and work here and their elected members.”
Keith Bannister, property owner and owner of Harley’s bar and accommodation, claims when he looked at the Staveley Town Deal Board he suggested there should be someone living, working, or who had a business in Staveley on the board but he claims there was a vote against the idea.
However, the council has since argued that adding new members to the board is a decision for the board and there would not have been a council vote on this matter.
Paula Smith, of Hair with Attitude, on Market Street, near Market Place, 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.
Ms Smith said she understands that the land where the shops sit is owned by a development company and the buildings are owned and rented out by Pleatcrown Ltd and Chesterfield Borough Council owns the Market Place square ground.
But she has still argued the shop businesses have been paying rent and have had no maintenance done so the shops are badly maintained buildings with leaking roofs so she has described the council’s shop front upgrade scheme as ‘candy-coating s**t’ because she claims work is needed on improving the buildings’ maintenance.
The council has been keen to dismiss any notion that the properties which Ms Smith claims are poorly maintained are owned by the council because the council insists they are in ‘private ownership’.
A council spokesperson stated that every single business on the same corner as Hair by Attitude is going to get shop front improvements and there is a scheme to improve the building.
The spokesperson added that Shop Front Improvement Grant Schemes cover up to 80per cent of project costs, but Ms Smith has still argued that this would be pointless if it is not going to change her business inside.
Builder David Bannister also claimed the Town Deal business grant funding has been delayed and that his grant which he has not yet received will only be £14,000 across his identified four schemes when the borough council had said they could have been up to as much as £50,000 each.
But the council has stated the original total shop front grant funding allocation was £600,000 and this was authorised to be shared out on a first-come, first-served basis by agreeing any scheme works and then paying the money.
The council has also claimed that by the time David Bannister’s claim came in £586,000 had been committed to other schemes and there was only £14,000 remaining.
The planned new Pavilion building as part of the Staveley 21 Project has previously been reported as ‘commercial centre’ which the council argued is not an an accurate description because the plan for this building is to primarily house Derbyshire County Council’s Staveley Library should it be relocated from its current address on Hall Lane and the council said the Pavilion will therefore not pose competition to existing businesses.
However, Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee approved its own council’s planning application in June for the new two-storey Pavilion building to include a ‘business centre’, a library and public conveniences on Market Place, in Staveley, near Markham Hall, Tilly’s Tavern and the Healthy Living Centre.
The development details were outlined by the council to include the demolition of a market store and toilet block building before the two-storey mixed-use Pavilion building is built to provide new library space on the ground floor, facilities such as office space and toilets, market amenity facilities including a store and a toilet, and a new business centre on the first floor with offices and meeting spaces.
However, Staveley Town Cllr Paul Mann has claimed that people do not want the current library on Hall Lane shutting and he has repeatedly raised concerns the proposed location of the Pavilion development might cut off trade for the town’s weekly market and he has further worries about how the scheme will open up the High Street.
But the council has stated the Staveley 21 Project aims to increase footfall with plans including the Pavilion building, the rejuvenation of High Street with a shop front improvement scheme and new paving and a public realm, and there are plans for improved connections between the canal and the town centre with new lighting and signage.
The council has also said the new plans feature a better Market Place design for events and gatherings with better Wifi and shop improvements, new paving, lighting, street furniture and planting supporting the Market Place and High Street, Market Street and Duke Street.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s Chief Executive Huw Bowen presented details of the Staveley Town Deal’s town centre improvement plans during a Staveley Town Council meeting in September, 2023, and, according to the council, both Mr Bowen and Staveley Town Deal Board Chairperson Ivan Fomin have had quarterly meetings with the Staveley Improvement Team.
Mr Fomin has said the Staveley Town Deal aims to transform Staveley, create opportunities for training and employment, improve community facilities and enhance Staveley as a place to live, work and visit and the board will continue to engage with residents and businesses to ensure the investment has a ‘wide-reaching positive impact’ for Staveley.
