Members of the community are being invited to help shape a new statue for Staveley town centre that will celebrate the town’s past.
The new statue will replace the market statue featuring three industrial workers which was initially damaged in October 2025 but, as some of members of the community are aware, was unfortunately stolen in December. Given its bespoke nature, it is not possible to recreate the work, so a new statue will be commissioned.
Derbyshire Constabulary were made aware of the theft of the statue of three industrial workers at the time, but limited evidence means that it has not been possible to trace the statue.
The new statue will take pride of place in the heart of the town centre regeneration project and will incorporate the original plinth and clock which were not stolen.
Chesterfield Borough Council will appoint an artist to create the new statue in collaboration with the community. The work will be funded by the town centre contractor Stepnell.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The theft of this sculpture is deeply upsetting for the whole community, it was a local landmark that celebrated Staveley’s proud industrial heritage. In its place we feel it’s appropriate to create something new and unique for the town that continues to pay tribute to its proud past.
“We want the new statue to be developed in collaboration with the local community so they can provide their views during the design process, and we can create something that reflects the town’s history and that the whole community can be proud of. We’ll be appointing a new artist soon and we’ll ensure they host workshops and community events across the town so the whole community can be involved in the development of a new statue.”
The new statue will be fully funded by the town centre regeneration contractor, Stepnell.
Tom Sewell, director at Stepnell, said: “It was alarming to see the poignant industrial heritage statue stolen so we are pleased to be able to provide funding for the creation of a new landmark as part of the new revitalised town centre.
“While retaining former elements, we want to ensure the community plays a central role in shaping the new statue and look forward to being involved in bringing this to life, standing tall at the centre of the Staveley 21 regeneration project.”
Details about how people can get involved in shaping the new statue will be shared once an artist has been appointed.
The statue which was stolen was originally created by Michael Grevatte in the early 1990s and showed three workers from key local industries including railways, mining, and steel. The work was commissioned by Chesterfield Borough Council as part of its percent for art scheme when redeveloping the town centre. It was unveiled by the then Mayor of Chesterfield, Terry Kendellen in 1992.
Staveley town centre has undergone a major transformation following a £6 million package of improvements being delivered by Chesterfield Borough Council with funding from the Staveley Town Deal.
The project takes key elements from the Staveley Vision Masterplan which received strong public support and aims to create town centre spaces that can be used for a wide range of events to help attract more visitors and shoppers.
Works on the project are mostly complete with the project delayed due to an outstanding electrical connection to the new landmark pavilion building.
This connection is required to power on new CCTV and lighting which will help ensure the town centre is a safe place to visit at any time of day or night.
To find out more about the town centre regeneration project visit our Staveley 21 page.
