Update from Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, reflecting on the progress made this year - and the things to look forward to in the remainder of 2024.
It feels like we have travelled a long road since we started the Town Deal in 2019, but over the last six months we’ve seen our project sponsors make significant progress towards delivery, and there is still lots to look forward to over the rest of the year.
I visited the Staveley Waterside site on 1 August, where construction to create a new building with commercial space, a cafe and new moorings by the canal basin has begun. This development is really exciting because it will create a new destination, enhancing the canal offer for both visitors and residents.
Staveley 21, a regeneration and revitalisation project for Staveley town centre, has been recommended to receive planning permission and, if approved, we expect the project will start on site later this year.
We’ve also seen several town centre properties apply for shop front grants - but there is still funding available for businesses that want to make improvements to their shop fronts like new signage, lighting, windows and more.
Work to restore the Chesterfield Canal started on site in May and has been progressing well since then. Fabrication of the new footbridge is happening and work on the foundations has begun. We expect that this will be in place later this year and work to dig the canal channels and build new footpaths will take place next year.
The Wheels to Work project has now officially launched, and five brand new electric mopeds and ten e-bikes are available to hire for Staveley residents who need transport to take up work, education or training opportunities. For a low monthly cost residents can hire these vehicles for either six or twelve months and receive all the training and safety equipment they need to ride safely.
One of the most exciting projects is the Construction Skills Hub, and students have now completed their first year of training. The site compound at Mastin Moor is almost ready to welcome even more students in September. Learning on a live construction site will help ensure that students not only have the skills but can also get the experience they need to access careers in the construction industry.
The team behind the new DRIIVe rail innovation centre at Barrow Hill Roundhouse is tendering for a contractor to take the project further and is expected to start on site later this year. Similarly at Barrow Hill Memorial Hall, where the aim is to resurrect this building for the local community, a contractor will soon be appointed, and work is expected to start on site this year.
Unfortunately, the Government has paused the Restoring Your Railways Programme, and it is now unlikely that the Barrow Hill Line will be reopened for passenger services. We hope that the funding earmarked for this project will now be reallocated to support some of the other projects within the Town Deal.
Overall, we have seen lots of great progress this year and there is still a lot to look forward to. You should be able to spot the Staveley Town Deal banners on an increasing number of site hoardings around the town. I hope that you are encouraged by the progress made in delivering these projects for you.