£17m refurbishment plans get go-ahead

Multi-million-pound plans to refurbish a historic building in Chesterfield have been given the go-ahead.

Chesterfield Borough Council has green-lit proposals to upgrade the Stephenson Memorial Hall, which houses a museum and the Pomegranate Theatre.

The refurbishment is projected to cost around £17 million, with £11 million of funding being secured via the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The borough council has received almost £20 million through the fund. The other £8 million will be used to support and enhance the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Project.

Together, the funding aims to ensure that Chesterfield is a vibrant market town by improving connections across the town centre and enhancing the visitor economy.

Under the plans, the refurbished Stephenson Memorial Hall will bring together an extended Pomegranate Theatre, a reconfigured and modern museum, alongside new gallery space, a café bar, education and community facilities.

The work will also protect the Grade II listed building and ensure that it remains part of the borough’s heritage for generations to come.