Chesterfield
Turning sustained engagement into priorities and delivery
Derbyshire | East Midlands | Phase 1 | £20m over 10 years
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Why we've included it
A strong example of sustained engagement rather than treating consultation as a single event.
What they did
Chesterfield Town Board developed a 10-year Regeneration Plan covering the 2026–2036 investment period.
Community engagement took place in stages. Around 1,700 people were engaged through a survey and targeted activities during the first major engagement phase in 2024. A further 3,750 people were reached during additional engagement in autumn 2025.
The resulting plan identifies priorities including cohesion, health and wellbeing, regeneration/high streets and heritage, safety and security, and transport.
The plan was approved by government in March 2026 and the first projects began moving into delivery from April 2026.
The approach
Community
Engagement wasn't treated as one consultation exercise. Chesterfield returned to the community at different stages as the programme and priorities developed.
Evidence
The Regeneration Plan considers the area's challenges and opportunities alongside community views to establish the case for investment.
Priorities
The process translated into a clear set of thematic priorities that now provide the framework for investment and project development.
What others can learn
Engagement is a process, not an event.
The number of survey responses matters less than what happens because of them.
Chesterfield's staged approach illustrates how engagement can continue as priorities become clearer, rather than asking residents one set of questions at the beginning and disappearing to write the plan.
- Who have we heard from?
- Who are we still missing?
- What have people told us?
- What has changed in our thinking because of it?
That final question is particularly important.
If engagement hasn't influenced a decision, priority or assumption, ask what role it is actually playing.
Where they are now
Chesterfield's 10-year Regeneration Plan was approved in March 2026, with the programme moving into delivery from April 2026.
Explore Chesterfield's approach
These case studies are independent UrbanCat learning resources based on publicly available Pride in Place plans, engagement material and programme information. They are not MHCLG assessments or endorsements.