A £400m tourism development that will bring more than 1,300 jobs to Chesterfield has been welcomed by the North East Derbyshire town.
The investment is a partnership between a UK development company and US firm Grand Heritage Hotel Group.
A new regeneration investment organisation, bringing together the two investors – Birchall Properties, led by Rupert Carr, and the US-owned Grand Heritage Hotel Group – will be created to lead the project.
The new £400m integrated all-weather, year-round leisure, health, sport and education destination will be built near Chesterfield. The project – which is in the Chesterfield borough on the reclaimed opencast mining site, close to the Birchall Estate at Unstone – has been years in the making. It brings together leading hospitality, university, sport and medical expertise and will have 600 holiday apartments, hotel and hostel units with 250 woodland lodges.
Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, the town’s marketing campaign, both say the news that the Peak Resorts project will soon get underway shows the private sector’s confidence about investing in the borough. Work will start on site between March and April.
Chair of Destination Chesterfield, Peter Swallow, said: “The benefits of Chesterfield’s proximity to the Peak District National Park will be fully realised with the announcement of Peak Resorts. The investment by the US firm Grand Heritage Hotel Group will put the town on the international map and I am confident Chesterfield will reap the domino effect of this investment far beyond the construction phase.
“Residents, retailers and developers in the area have an excellent opportunity now to capitalise on Peak Resorts ahead of its opening and make Chesterfield the best it can be to ensure a positive, lasting impression for all visitors.”
Councillor John Burrows, leader and executive member for regeneration at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This is a fantastic boost to Chesterfield and its economy and another sign of the confidence the business community has about investing in our borough. I congratulate the developer Rupert Carr for his determination and hard work to make this happen. I also thank the council’s planning and economic development teams who have worked closely with him and his company over many years to make this project a reality.
“The development will provide 1,300 jobs when it opens, and hundreds more during the construction phase, so the opportunities for local people to get new jobs will be tremendous. And once completed the venue will bring thousands of extra visitors to our borough, improving Chesterfield’s tourism offer, with the knock-on benefits that this gives to our local shops and facilities.”