Chesterfield’s future high street offering got a major boost recently when, in an unprecedented move, Chesterfield Borough Council voted in favour of acquiring one of the town’s shopping centres.
The proposed acquisition of the shopping centre is a huge vote of confidence from the forward-thinking council, acknowledging the importance of the role the high street will play as the town begins its journey out of lockdown.
The Pavement’s Shopping Centre, which plays host to a number of well-known high street names including Boots, Tesco and WHSmith and was opened by their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, has been a feature of Chesterfield town centre since 1981. It is considered a gateway to the town centre, being linked to the town’s bus concourse and multi-storey car park.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced recently that non-essential retail would be allowed to open from 12 April. Optimistic about the recovery of towns and cities across the UK. Describing the time he was chairman of Transport for London (TFL), M Johnson said: “I remember the better remote communication gets and the more people can see each other and talk on mobile devices… the more actually they want to see each other face to face.
“I believe our great cities will bounce back along with the rest of the economy once we’ve got this road map delivered.”
Late last year, Chesterfield Borough Council pledged £650,000 to improve the town centre. As part of the improvements, the space around the town’s Northern Gateway area is being upgraded, and footpaths improved to making it easier for cafés, bars and restaurants to seat people outside around Elder Way. Trees will also be planted to improve air quality.
The outdoor market will get better lighting and power, improved access and stall configuration, general paving repairs and a new flexible trading areas.
The improvements and redevelopment of the outdoor market are expected to be completed by November 2021.
Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast Developments commented on the council’s move: “It’s both reassuring and inspiring to see Chesterfield Borough Council investing money in the town centre when many other towns and cities have bunkered down to ride out the pandemic. It demonstrates what a resilient and forward-thinking environment Chesterfield is and a great place for business start-ups to thrive.”
If you’re looking for a Chesterfield town centre presence for your new business which is close to high quality offices and a vibrant retail environment, Elder Way is the ideal location. It offers contemporary units with street level frontages which will benefit from the café culture style improvements to Northern Gateway, which include outdoor seating areas and tree-lined streets.
Get in touch with our team now to discover what Elder Way can offer your business or contact Jomast Developments on 01642 666942.