Plans have been unveiled for a £19.9 million mixed-use scheme in Chesterfield.

The Northern Gateway project aims to transform the area around the Donut roundabout at Holywell Cross with a new retail and leisure scheme.

Features will include an enterprise centre for start-up and medium sized businesses on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park as well as renewal of the Saltergate multi-storey car park and environmental and street improvements to Elder Way and part of Knifesmithgate, including wider pavements to create a terrace area.

In addition, the project includes the £10.5m redevelopment of the Co-op store by Central England Co-operative and their partners Jomast Developments.

Planning permission has already been secured for a leisure scheme, which features;

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• Six ground floor restaurants

• A hotel on the first and second floors

• A hotel on the first and second floors

• Premier Inn and Beefeater are two of the companies that will occupy the site

The project will be funded by a Sheffield City Region Infrastructure Fund grant of £5.83m. The council has contributed £3.5m towards the scheme, with the Co-op redevelopment being paid for by the private sector.

Whittam Cox Architects is currently drawing up a vision document of how the scheme and the wider area will develop over the next 20 years. This will be published in July when consultation takes place with residents and businesses.

Speaking to over 80 business leaders at a briefing event at Staveley Hall, Design Director at Whittam Cox Andrew Dabbs said: "We are excited to have been commissioned by Chesterfield Borough Council to provide this vision for the Northern Gateway, a key part of the town centre.

"This is a long term vision which offers a means to promote and market the future development potential of the area so that long term regeneration benefits can be realised by Chesterfield."

Cllr Amanda Serjeant said: "This is a great start in delivering the first part of the vision of the Northern Gateway project.

"The scheme will bring much needed investment, jobs and attract new spend to the town centre, making it a better place to live, work and play.

"In the short term it will establish a good basis on which the longer term vision can be brought to fruition on the future."

(LM/MH)