Chesterfield council secures £2m to get two stalled Staveley Town Deal projects back on track
The council hopes to get the projects at Staveley Canal Basin and the Barrow Hill Memorial Hall moving once again
Chesterfield Borough Council has secured £2m of funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority to get two Staveley Town Deal regeneration projects back on track after they stalled due to what it claims was ‘construction price inflation’.
The council, which is overseeing the Government-funded £25.2m Staveley Town Deal scheme, revealed that two of the scheme’s 11 projects – Staveley Canal Basin’s The Moorings and the Barrow Hill Memorial Hall – had become subject to ‘significant value engineering and subsequent scope reduction following construction price inflation’.
A council spokesperson stated: “Two projects, Barrow Hill Memorial Hall and The Moorings – formerly known as Staveley Waterside – remained impacted by rising costs resulting in a reduction in what they have been able to deliver, despite additional grant funding being re-circulated within the programme.”
Chesterfield Borough Council’s Economic Development team submitted a Staveley Investment Package application for £2m of Government-backed capital funding to EMCCA to help complete the two Staveley Town Deal projects – The Barrow Hill Memorial Hall and The Moorings.
EMCCA had already invited local authorities in September, 2025, to apply for funding for projects that could spend capital funding and that were deemed to feed into EMCCA’s growth priorities and regeneration ambitions for the region.
The Staveley Town Deal Board, which includes representatives from the borough council, the Department of Work and Pensions, educational establishments, the NHS, MPs and the community as well as other elected representatives, supported the bid for the additional funding.
Barrow Hill Memorial Hall’s refurbishment aims to provide a community resource and it is being delivered by the Barrow Hill Community Trust.
The trust is leading the refurbishment of the hall and through the Town Deal the trust is creating a new community pantry, community bar and café and a new health hub.
Town Deal funding has also funded some key upgrades to the building like new electrical and ventilation systems.
Additional funding from EMCCA will be used to create a nursery, physical activity space with youth provision in the evenings, and provide match funding to help kick start works on the second storey which will include a new events venue along with other community facilities.
The Town Deal funding originally aimed to deliver the entire ground floor refurbishment but due to rising costs this has been scaled back.
Barrow Hill Community Trust was allocated £1,870,815 from the original Staveley Town Deal funding pot for the Memorial Hall and they claimed £1,821,665.49 with only £49,149.51 remaining.
EMCCA funding will also now provide match-funding of £85,982 for the Heritage Lottery Fund group which has been positive about Phase 2 of this project involving the first floor and external works but they wanted to see the ground floor works completed and they will need six per cent in match funding.
Barrow Hill Community Trust Chairperson Simon Redding said: “This funding will make a major difference to the lives, wellbeing and economic inclusion of the people of Barrow Hill and the surrounding communities to the east of Chesterfield.
“Finally, local people will have the community-led facilities for families, young people and physical activity that they deserve and need.”
The Moorings project will be a mixed-use commercial scheme constructed on Staveley Basin next to the Chesterfield Canal.
This project has been delivered by Derbyshire County Council with works to the main building completed in June 2025 but the scope of the project was significantly reduced to ensure the building could be developed with the available budget.
Its main building is complete and is almost ready to welcome commercial tenants, according to the council, but there remained some outstanding issues with the building and public realm particularly the pontoons linking the public realm to the Chesterfield Canal.
A council report revealed the pontoons linking the public realm to the canal had to be removed which had a negative impact on the vision for the area surrounding the building and the leisure and tourism outputs and outcomes had to be scaled back.
But the latest funding will complete the building, install a public realm surrounding the building and the nine pontoons so that canal boats can moor at the Staveley Canal Basin.
Derbyshire County Council has built and operates The Moorings at Staveley Basin and the mixed-use development sits next to the historic town basin and aims to attract new businesses to the area.
Additional funding from EMCCA will now be used to enhance the landscape around the building and create new pontoons for boats to moor in the basin.
A Borough Council spokesperson added: “The funding will support a programme of investment to enable the completion of the Staveley Town Deal programme.
“In doing so it will deliver against the corporate plan priorities of ‘making Chesterfield a thriving borough’ and ‘improving quality of life for local people’.
“Specifically, the plan states that we will ‘work with partners to bring forward the comprehensive regeneration of the Staveley Growth Corridor, tackling the physical and environmental issues and facilitating the delivery of jobs and employment floorspace’.
“In addition, we will ‘manage the delivery of the Staveley Town Deal programme to shape the future of the town, create new jobs and training opportunities, improving community facilities and making the most of our infrastructure’. “
Both the Barrow Hill Memorial Hall and The Moorings are based next to the Staveley and Chesterfield East Midlands Investment Zone sites at Hartington and the former depot site and both are expected to support ambitions for EMIZ to regenerate the area.
Chesterfield Borough Council Leader, Cllr Tricia Gilby, who is also vice-chairperson of the Staveley Town Deal, said: “This is fantastic news for Staveley that will see an important green space improved and a much-used community asset reach its full potential.
“We’ll work closely with the project sponsors to ensure they have the support they need to deliver these projects for the benefit of Staveley residents.”
The Government has allowed some flexibility after all the Town Deal schemes and projects it backed were originally given a programme delivery deadline of March, 2026.
Subsequently, the Staveley Town Deal has received approval for the Chesterfield Canal Project deadline to extend to June 2026 when the pontoons are expected to be completed and The Barrow Hill Memorial Hall project is expected to be completed by May 2027.
Ivan Fomin, Staveley Town Deal Board Chairperson, said: “This funding demonstrates how investment from the Town Deal has helped secure further funding for Staveley that will deliver even more benefits for the local community.”
Other projects under the Staveley Town Deal scheme include: The Staveley 21 – Town Centre Regeneration; Hartington Commerce Park; Chesterfield Canal improvements; A rail innovation centre at Barrow Hill; Training facilities for Staveley Miners Welfare Football Club; Providing an electric bike or moped scheme; Extending Staveley Hall; A contribution to re-opening the Barrow Hill railway line and a railway station; And a construction training facility at Mastin Moor.
EMMCA East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward said: “This investment is about more than buildings and infrastructure – it’s about people. By working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council and communities in Staveley, we’re creating inclusive places where everyone feels welcome and has the opportunity to thrive.
“I am committed to making the East Midlands a place that everyone is proud to call home, and that begins with investing in projects that regenerate our towns, villages, and cities.”
The borough council’s Cabinet formally approved receipt of the £2m of EMCCA funding for the two projects at a meeting on January 20.