Summer start for Chesterfield’s multi-million-pound revamp

The next major phase of Chesterfield Borough Council’s multi-million-pound project to regenerate the town centre is now underway, having officially started on site on 1 July 2024.r. Appointed via the ESPO 2664 framework, we are the lead consultant on the ‘Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield’ project which is due to be completed in phases by 2025.

The latest phase in this revamp will continue to transform the look and flow of key spaces and places including New Square and Market Square. Our involvement so far includes a full-service offering, comprising structural and civil engineering consultancy, along with geo-environmental and transport planning advice.

EPSO is a not-for-profit and public sector owned organisation, which means after operating costs, any additional capital will go towards public spending only. Our appointment to ESPO 2664 is facilitating the continued growth of our public sector workload and ambition to support local authorities with regeneration projects.

Director Kriston Harvey said: “It’s great to see such a transformational project get underway. Chesterfield Borough Council has ambitious plans for the town centre and I’m proud that Rodgers Leask is playing a significant role in bringing those plans to life. This revamp will not only utilise the different public spaces to their full potential but will also make them truly flexible spaces that can be multipurpose.

“Our job is to make sure that from an engineering perspective everything is working in harmony to allow this clear plan for Chesterfield to come to fruition. Our experts across the different disciplines understand the significance of the project to the local community and we are looking forward to the works progressing in the summer.

“Once again, we are the forefront of a key, public sector project which is deeply rewarding. Working within the public sector through this ESPO framework means we know that any additional profits will go straight to the public purse, ensuring that the community can continue benefiting for the work we do in Chesterfield. It’s great to be a part of something like that.”

Key spaces that have been targeted for this revamp are New Square, with plans to make it a more flexible space for cultural and community gatherings, and Market Square, where a new layout is being designed to make it more accessible on foot. Corporation Street is also planned to undergo a revamp to provide a more welcoming atmosphere in the town centre.

The project will begin in Market Square, where improvements will create a new market layout with new stalls and enhancements to paving, seating and lighting, before moving on to New Square, where works will be carried out to create an attractive flexible space to support both traditional and speciality markets and a wider range of uses. The final phase will involve improvement works to Rykneld Square.

Improvements will also be carried out to Corporation Street to create a new gateway to the refurbished Stephenson Memorial Hall, which houses Chesterfield Museum and The Pomegranate Theatre.

Find out more about the project on the Chesterfield Borough Council website (LINK: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/revitalise)

To learn more about the ESPO framework, you can read about our appointment here: https://rodgersleask.com/2022/03/10/framework-success-as-we-lead-consortium-onto-espo/