Communities secretary says high street funds will 'inject new life' into Mansfield, Sutton and Kirkby

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government and Newark MP, says funding for our three town centres will “inject new life” into the region, pressing that north Nottinghamshire has historically been “under-valued”.

It comes as bidding for the new Town Funds edges closer, with Mansfield, Sutton and Kirkby set to receive up to £25 million each for town regeneration – including transport, heritage and culture.

Speaking on a visit to Mansfield, Mr Jenrick said: “The objective is that you could walk down a high street and it looks demonstrably different as a result of this investment.

“We drew up criteria that looked at a number of different factors, including deprivation, education and social mobility, and in this part of the country a number of towns ranked highly – including Mansfield, Sutton, Kirkby and my Newark constituency.

“This shows that North Notts requires a significant amount of investment. It’s a collection of historic towns, many of which feel under-invested in, under-valued for too long, and the mission of the government is to level-up all parts of the country.”

Mansfield and Sutton could also receive a further £25 million in the Future High Streets fund, aimed at regenerating the high street.

Mansfield’s MP Ben Bradley wants to see both funds used together as a wider regeneration opportunity.

He said: “The Towns Fund can be about wider economic regeneration, our connectivity and transport, and the High Streets funding is the cherry on the cake, focusing on the town centre, our shops. It’s a real catalyst for change.”

Andy Abrahams, Mansfield’s mayor, met with Mr Jenrick on his visit to the town.

He said: “Today gave us the opportunity to highlight the economic challenges we face in Mansfield and also share with the Secretary of State our ambitions to grow a vibrant and confident place.

“We’re unable to bring about change alone, we need funding, support and partnerships to make the very most of the opportunities afforded to us through initiatives such as the Towns Fund and Future High Streets.”