Dronfield is a town located in the north of North East Derbyshire District’s area. It lies in the valley of the River Drone five miles North of Chesterfield and is just South of Sheffield’s city boundary. The population is approximately 21,000 and the town is a service centre and commuter town for both Sheffield and Chesterfield.
Dronfield is an ancient settlement that existed before the 1086 Domesday Book was written and has a 13th-century parish church. A range of manufacturing firms operate in the town along with a wide variety of independent and larger retailers, food and beverage businesses, hair and beauty salons, and cafes. There are over 100 businesses actively trading in the town centre.
The topography of the town has created two ‘centres’. There are two main retail locations, one along the B6057 Sheffield Road (the original Chesterfield to Sheffield route), or so-called “Dronfield Bottom”, around the Dronfield Railway Station. On the higher land to the west in the older part of the town, by the High Street and the Civic Centre, is located another thriving retail area, bordered on three sides by the Dronfield Conservation Area (designated in 1971).
Development of the Civic Centre
North East Derbyshire District Council, in partnership with Dronfield Town Council, commissioned a masterplan for the Dronfield Civic Centre area in 2020. A comprehensive community engagement exercise was carried out. More recently a detailed review of comments was undertaken to ensure the proposals included in the report reflected a consensus for the area. As a result, North East Derbyshire District Council allocated £500k of its UK Shared Prosperity Fund budget to improving the parking area and public realm directly adjacent to the Civic Centre shops. This work will enable a dedicated events space to be created without having to close the whole carpark.
In January 2024, Latham’s architects were appointed to carry out this work. It is anticipated that construction will start in quarter 3 of 2024 for completion by March 2025.
Current view of the Civic Centre area:
Photo Credit: Derbyshire Economic Partnership
Artist’s impression of the proposed new civic centre area:
You can read about this development through our Dronfield Civic Centre Masterplan which was finalised in March 2022.
Exploring the district
The town has a rich built heritage with many significant buildings surviving from the medieval period onwards, and an attractive townscape. The area has good links to popular green and open space networks, ancient woodland, streams and recreation parks. The Peak District National Park is three miles to the west.
If you would like to find out about accommodation, places to visit and eat, please click the link and you will be directed to our “Explore the district” pages.
Transport and Parking
The Sheffield to Chesterfield main road, the B6057, became quieter once the Dronfield Bypass was built to upgrade the A61 in 1975. This dual carriage way is the main commuter route from Chesterfield to Sheffield, and so alongside the M1 to the East, the town’s improved transport links and reduced commuting time make Dronfield a popular commuter town.
As with all North East Derbyshire District Council owned car parks, parking is ample and free, allowing you to explore the town centre at your leisure.
Dronfield’s busy train station lies on the Midland Main Line and regular services pass along the route. Trains from Dronfield also run via the Nottingham-Leeds line and the Norwich-Liverpool line.
In terms of Buses, Dronfield is well served by regular bus routes including the 43 and 44 Sheffield services which stop at both Dronfield and neighbouring Dronfield Woodhouse. The route 15 goes from Dronfield’s civic centre to Chesterfield town centre.
Property and Estates
If you are interested in finding out about the business or retail units in Dronfield and surrounding areas, please email the Economic Development Team who will help you will your enquiry.
Financial support
Grant funding is available for businesses and landlords to improve their street facing commercial properties within the district of North East Derbyshire, especially those within our town centres and on our high streets.
Aimed at making our town centres and high streets more inviting and vibrant place for residents and visitors to enjoy, grants will be available from a minimum of £500 to a maximum of £10,000, a contribution of up to 75% of total project costs.
Shopfront Enhancement Scheme - North East Derbyshire District Council (ne-derbyshire.gov.uk)
Research
The Economic Development team regularly collate data such as the type of businesses present in the town centres, footfall numbers and visitor trends to each town to help inform the Council’s plans for future developments and improvements. You can see what this includes for Dronfield by visiting our Research and Strategies page.
Business Networking
If you would like to get involved with local business networking, please get in touch with us.
Dronfield Parish Council
If you would like to find out what is happening locally within Dronfield please visit the Parish Council website News | Dronfield Town Council
For further information, please contact