Category: Current Issues

  • Successful 18 April members’ meeting

    Chesterfield and wider area initiatives, issues, problems and opportunities were discussed with Chesterfield Borough Council’s Economic Development Chief, Neil Johnson, at our members’ meeting on 18 April. We’ll be circulating details of the discussion threads to our members in due course. We also received some suggestions about the future format of meetings such as this,…

  • Member meeting on 18 April

    At our member (and guests) meeting on Thursday 18 April Neil Johnson, Head of Economic Development at Chesterfield Borough Council, will be the speaker. Neil will be talking about current and planned developments in the borough. There will be a question and answer session following his presentation. It will also be a chance to have…

  • Rethinking Chesterfield town centre

    We’ve made available some of our thoughts on issues facing Chesterfield town centre. These were originally published in the run-up to a well-attended public meeting we held back in February 2023. We’ve slightly edited these, but think they still represent a good starting point on looking at and identifying the issues facing our town centre.…

  • Society regret over old courthouse demolition

    Chesterfield and District Civic Society has expressed regret that the former courthouse complex on Brimington Road, near the train station, is being demolished (as January 2024). Says Civic Society Chairman Howard Borrell; ‘Many people will remember that this now privately owned building was latterly the Probation Service and was, some time ago, a martial arts…

  • Society ‘not hopeful’ about visitor centre survival – stressing that cuts proposals need effective consultation

    Chesterfield and District Civic Society is not hopeful that the town’s popular visitor and information centre (VIC) will survive and wants to see further consultation on forthcoming budget cuts proposals. In November Chesterfield Borough Council announced that, as part of work to produce a balanced budget, they were looking to hold a ‘conversation’ with the…

  • Society hopes Hurst House debacle on way to being resolved

    Chesterfield and District Civic Society are hopeful that neglected Hurst House will soon be for sale – one of the first steps in assuring a future for the Grade II listed building on Abercrombie Street, Chesterfield. Empty since 2014, the property has been part of a wrangle involving the Chesterfield Schools Foundation charity, who owned…

  • Tapton House issues addressed at our AGM

    We were very fortunate that the managing director of Stone Castle Enterprise, Dan Pattrick, had agreed to speak about his plans for Tapton House at our AGM in September. We made it clear that members of Friends of Tapton House were welcome to attend, as long as Dan was given a courteous reception and a…

  • The continuing saga of Hurst House

    We have written all too often about the saga of Hurst House, Abercrombie Street, and what we consider is a scandal regarding its sale as a viable property (or rather how this has not happened and of the building’s decline). We were recently contacted by a neighbouring resident concerning the state of Hurst House. The…

  • Rose Hill News

    We are pleased to report that steps are being taken to safeguard the future of the Rose Hill United Reform Church building. This is a prominent Grade II listed landmark which offers one of the pleasantest and most convenient meeting rooms in the town centre. The Civic Society is seeking to have the building designated…

  • Revitalising Chesterfield town centre

    We are taking another look at the problems, issues and challenges our town centre in Chesterfield has in this post. ‘Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield’ Several weeks ago the Civic Society was invited to take part in a walkover of the town centre as part of a scheme to improve the ‘public realm’ between the…