Former Markham Colliery regeneration scheme hailed as a ‘success story’

The Markham Vale regeneration scheme, near Bolsover, is approaching the ‘end game’ with three-quarters of units sold and thousands of jobs created.

Coun Tony King, Derbyshire Council cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, told the council’s cabinet the challenges of the last 18 months have made the continued progress of the scheme all the more remarkable.

In that period, he said 16 businesses have moved into the site, while Chesters fish and chips has started construction on a new family restaurant at the development’s motorway services area.

Work on the business park, which is located on the site of the former Markham Colliery, started in 2006 with the aim of creating up to 4,100 jobs, improving roads and bringing in about £170 million of private sector investment.

More than 1,000 people worked at the colliery in 1992, before it closed in July 1993.

Coun King said: “Some 86 per cent of the site is now ready for development and 75 per cent is now sold and occupied, so we’re moving into the end game.”

He said more than 2,200 jobs have been created by the development to date.

“It’s a success story,” he concluded.

Businesses on site include corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa and logistics firm Great Bear, as well as Markham Vale Environment Centre.

Coun Simon Spencer, council deputy leader, said: “It’s created wealth, it’s created opportunities and most of all it’s created jobs and that was the objective of the scheme when we started off.”

Support your Chad by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.