New Chesterfield Town Centre Partnership team

A new partnership has been launched to boost safety, support vulnerable people and strengthen engagement with local businesses in Chesterfield town centre.

The Chesterfield Town Centre Partnership – a collaboration between Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Constabulary and Chesterfield Community Trust – will bring together a team of multi‑skilled officers to deliver a stronger, more coordinated and visible presence in the town centre.

The team will carry out high‑visibility patrols, provide early intervention for vulnerable individuals, undertake licensing checks, offer regulatory advice and engage directly with local businesses seven days a week.

Made up of police officers, council enforcement officers and voluntary sector partners, the team will work collectively to ensure support is always available, with at least two members of the team visible every day.

This joined-up approach will enable a coordinated, proactive service for addressing issues in the town centre.

The team will have a base at Chesterfield Market Hall, offering a central and accessible location.

Councillor Jean Innes, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Chesterfield remains a safe place to live, visit, socialise and work, but like in all towns and cities across the country, anti-social behaviour can sometimes arise.

“Through consultation with local people, we know that feelings of safety and security in the town centre is really important to residents and businesses in Chesterfield. This new approach will further bolster our partnership work to deter anti-social behaviour and crime – and, when it does happen, we are in a strong position to take swift action.

“By bringing our police officers, council teams and community partners together as one coordinated unit, it allows us to intervene earlier, work closely with local businesses and provide the visible reassurance people expect in the town centre.”

Inspector Joshua Carter, who leads policing in Chesterfield, said: “This new team demonstrates our commitment to working in close partnership to address the root causes of crime and other issues affecting the town.

“Officers will remain highly visible as they patrol alongside our council colleagues, allowing us to take a coordinated approach and ensure the most appropriate action is taken when issues are identified.

“Chesterfield has so much to offer, this approach supports us in delivering a tailored service that meets the needs of the community and helps to maintain a safe and welcoming town centre.”

Funding to recruit two council enforcement officers to provide a supportive presence in the town centre for  three years has been provided from by the Chesterfield Town Board Pride in Place programme, which is funded by the UK Government. This funding will complement the investment Chesterfield Borough Council has made to improve safety and security across the town centre including additional enforcement and security staff, and enhanced CCTV.

Dominic Staniforth, local business leader and Chair of Chesterfield Town Board, said: “The Pride in Place programme is all about delivering the kinds of improvements that our communities have told us they want to see, and tackle issues that matter most to them.

“Through the engagement work delivered via the Chesterfield Town Board, improving feelings of safety in the town centre was something that local residents and businesses told us is really important to them. That is why the board took the decision to invest Pride in Place funding for the next three years into this excellent project – and we welcome the launch of this new partnership.”

In addition to the day-to-day tasks, the Chesterfield Town Centre Partnership will also support events in the town centre work closely with Pubwatch, Shopwatch and other business groups to strengthen the town centre’s resilience.