Mansfield in strong position to recover from pandemic, says council

Mansfield town centre was deserted when this picture was taken at the start of lockdown in January. But it is thriving again now.

That’s the view of the district council as the country takes its first tentative steps towards normality after the easing of most lockdown restrictions.

Coun Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said strategies were already in place for the next decade.

And data from the Centre For Cities think-tank had placed Mansfield in the top-ten town centres for shopping in the UK.

Coun Stuart Richardson, who says Mansfield is in a good position to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The council has been actively promoting the need for people to shop local, and this data appears to show a positive trend upwards in footfall and spend, making it one of the best performers in the country,” said Coun Richardson.

"We will be building on this by working closely with businesses. We are also preparing regeneration projects after being awarded £12.3 million from the government’s Towns Fund.”

These projects include Destination Mansfield to improve parks and create an open-air space for events, plus Smart Mansfield to invest in technology.

A new Warsop Health Hub will include a swimming pool, fitness suite and multi-purpose hall, while a technology skills and knowledge exchange centre is to be created at Vision West Nottinghamshire College.

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Coun Richardson added: “In addition, the council has increased its start-up grants from £1,000 to £2,500 to encourage entrepreneurship.

"Other benefits include a business rate relief scheme to support inward investment and jobs growth.”

Mansfield District Council’s optimism mirrors that of Nottinghamshire County Council, whose councillors have set out a vision to help the county thrive after the pandemic.

They have promised to support the reopening of the economy, particularly businesses hit hardest by the pandemic, and to encourage people to make the most of local shops and leisure attractions.

They will also launch a new, bespoke website offering mental-health advice and help. This follows the success of an online digital hub during the pandemic which reached a peak of 1,000 hits per day.

The county council has vowed to plough ahead with major projects too. These include a new spine road in the Berry Hill area of Mansfield as part of the £100 million Lindhurst plan to build new homes and create jobs, plus a £28.6 million scheme to upgrade the A614 between Ollerton and East Bridgford.

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