Last week it was announced that Mansfield will be receiving £20,000,000 of levelling-up funding to transform the derelict Beales building on Stockwell Gate.
I’m absolutely over the moon that this is going ahead, I’ve been banging on Minister’s doors almost constantly about this funding since the bid was submitted, and I’m now really looking forward to working with Mansfield District Council and other partners as this development progresses.
I’ve heard the plan being criticised as ‘another Council office’, and I want to address that directly. That’s just not a fair assessment. Multiple agencies will be located here across education, private enterprise and other public services, with the net result actually likely to be that we are paying for fewer Council offices in the future, not more.
Under the current plans there will also be space for retail, with a whole variety of partners set to move in. Having a hub like this will increase the number of people visiting town, making the area more commercially viable for any new retailers who might want to invest here, as well as freeing up other ‘out-of-town’ sites for further investment.
This announcement isn’t the only thing happening in Mansfield this year. We’ve also got our Towns Fund plans that are set to come to life in 2023. These include a new Health and Leisure Hub for Warsop, improvements to Berry Hill Park, and modernised town centre parking among other things.
We’ve already seen spades go into the ground on major projects funded through private investment across Mansfield, worth tens of millions of pounds, like the old bus station (now restaurants) and the Gala Bingo site (now a hotel) for example.
Severn Trent’s £76m project to improve flood resilience is underway and will deliver new green space, both in the town centre and residential areas. Work on the new gardens in and around the market place is already getting going. I really hope this project will make Mansfield a greener, more attractive place to be, as well as help alleviate flash flooding.
I’m really pleased that the government has put Mansfield at the top of the list when it comes to the Levelling-Up Fund, having recognised the scale of investment needed to revitalise our town centre and surrounding areas. I reckon we’re up over the £50m mark now for town centre investment.
The East Midlands is one of the most underfunded parts of the country and places like Mansfield, having been left behind in the past, are now finally getting levels of funding that will make a real difference to the town.
Whilst the last couple of years have been spent taking stock of what our town could offer, consulting on ideas and submitting bids, 2023 will be a year of putting spades in the ground, and delivering on the levelling-up agenda across Mansfield.
I hope it’s becoming clearer how transformative some of this investment could be for Mansfield over the coming years. Our devolution plans to bring further powers and funds here to our area, instead of decisions being taken for us in London, can help further. It will take a bit of time to get things built, but I know it’s going to be more than worth the wait!
