Lots to smile about as thousands of jobs and new houses are on the way to Mansfield

We often hear concerns that Mansfield is becoming a “ghost town”, shunned by new businesses and investors.

However, there is lots going on in our town – with thousands of jobs and houses set to be created.

BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT

Did you know Mansfield is in the top 10 locations to start a business in the UK and that 12 of the UK’s top 200 companies are based in the area?

The district came ninth out of the 63 largest UK towns and cities in a recent study by Informi, a website offering advice and support for small businesses.

Informi’s research followed another study by the University of Derby and leading tax advisory company KPMG which looked at company turnover and highlighted a number of local success stories in its top 200 companies.

Mike Robinson, director of economic growth at Mansfield District Council, said: “Mansfield is a great place to set up a business and the council is very supportive of both new ventures and established firms.

“The area has more small and medium-sized enterprises than the English average and we are expecting to see these smaller businesses grow into larger businesses in the future.

“We have already seen this happening – look at the success and growth of companies like Glenair, Linney and TIS. These are exciting times for Mansfield.

“Linney, in particular, is a fantastic example of a successful local business and of the confidence the private sector has in Mansfield as a successful commercial base which can supply the right workforce.”

Aldi is set to open a new store in Mansfield on Oakleaf Close tomorrow, creating up to 30 new jobs.

Last year, more than 70 local businesses benefited from council support, such as start-up grants, business growth grants, business rates relief, apprenticeship grants, help for new traders on Mansfield Market, shop front improvements and vacant shops grants.

INVESTMENT

Mansfield could be set for a third hotel after plans were submitted to develop the site of a former factory in the town centre.

The proposals, by Aldergate Projects, include the build of a “leisure and retail premises” with the potential to “provide a hotel” on land off Belvedere Street.

Situated next to the bus station, the site is currently being used as a car park and was previously home to the Courtaulds Factory before its closure in 2000. A
 trio of hotels is now in the works after plans to develop an 80-bedroom hotel just metres away on Stockwell Gate North were unveiled last year, along with a proposed 108-bedroom hotel at Mansfield Town FC’s One Call stadium.

Old bus station shopping centre and hotel

The council is in the process of selling the former bus station site on Stockwell Gate North to the ARBA Group for redevelopment. 
ARBA intends to build an 80-bedroom hotel with roof terrace, restaurant, café, bar and gym.

The proposed scheme includes a piazza and open space along with other landscaping. 
Negotiations are ongoing between ARBA, the council, a national hotel chain, and food and drinks operators to bring the plans to fruition over the next two years.

An 80-bedroom hotel could welcome up to 41,000 visitors a year, as well as create 50-60 jobs. The boost to the local economy could be £3.6 million a year, based on a typical overnight spend of £170.

Mr Robinson said: “Having at least one hotel in the town centre will make a huge difference. “Hotel guests mean more people using local pubs, restaurants and shops, as well as jobs for local people.

“This is a key gateway site in Mansfield and will help make the town centre a more inviting and enjoyable place to visit and stay as well as driving footfall into town centre shops and businesses.”

Stags Hotel Scheme

Plans have been submitted for a new 100-room six-floor hotel at the One Call Stadium, between the Ian Greaves and Quarry Lane Stands.

John Radford, Mansfield Town FC chairman, said: “We are in communication with Mansfield District Council at this present time as we endeavour to roll-out this exciting new project as soon as is possible for the good of the town, its economy and Mansfield Town FC.”

The hotel is expected to create at least 25 new jobs. 

It is anticipated additional jobs will be created by more conferences and functions taking place within Mansfield Town FC’s existing conference and event facilities.

And it is expected 48 jobs would be created over the 16-18 month construction period.

Mansfield general hospital

The £8.6m Town View housing development for people aged over 55 on the site of the former Mansfield General Hospital should be completed around June and will provide 54 new properties – 42 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom bungalows.

Once Town View is completed the council will have provided 215 residential properties since 2010 at a total cost of £29.4m.

Townscape heritage scheme

The council is bidding for nearly £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will support businesses in Leeming Street in a five-year conservation programme, and help those wishing to make repairs and alterations to buildings to do them in a way which will enhance the look of the area to reflect its history and heritage.

Mr Robinson said: “We have to try to make more of what Mansfield has – and it has a lot more than people might first consider in terms of heritage and beauty in its old buildings.”

Old Town Hall revamp

The Old Town Hall is set for a £1.4m revamp which will see new shop units on its ground floor and offices on the upper floors, bringing it back into full use for the first time in more than 30 years.

Built in 1836, the Grade II*-listed building was last fully used as a town hall in 1986 and substantial repairs were carried out in 2016 at a cost of £550,000.

Now D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has confirmed a pot of £7.6m to boost towns and local centres in Nottinghamshire – and Mansfield is bidding for £700,000 of that to help pay for the cost of changing the use of the town hall and completing its renovation.

The council believes one way to help boost the town’s image as a shopping destination is to have a wider variety of shops on offer and it is hoped the units at the town hall will appeal to businesses.

HOUSING

Bringing forward Mansfield Homes, a commercial house building company, was one of the priorities for the council last year.

Building homes to sell for profit is an important element of the long-term financial strategy to bring sustainability to the authority and maintain services during financially challenging times.

The council is the sole shareholder so the profit comes back to the council.

In order to get started, the council made a loan to the company of £8.8m which will be repaid with interest along with the profits from the sale of the houses.

Building work on the first development on Windmill Lane, near to Carr Bank Park will start next month.

This is a development of 23 large four and five-bedroomed houses in one road, accessed off The Park.

The value of these homes will be in the region of £400,000- £500,000.

This provides a return for the council and aspirational living opportunities for families wanting to reside here in Mansfield.

The project aims to put as much back into the community as it can by using local suppliers and spending within a short distance of the town. Willmott Dixon, the appointed building partner, will bring employment opportunities and apprenticeships to Mansfield residents, along with work experience for students. A further £1.6m will also be spent in the supply chain within a 10-mile radius of the town and local contracts have been awarded to accountants, a company secretary and an estate agency all from Mansfield.

Mansfield Homes is considering four other sites across the district and further plans will be announced later in the year.

Elsewhere, the first 500 plots of a new 1,700 home development in Mansfield have been sold to developers – before groundworks are completed.

The Lindhurst development is an enormous new scheme on the southern boundary of Mansfield.

Planners and builders are currently in phase one of the development – and are expecting to complete the road building and groundworks in the coming weeks.

Building work is expected to start in September, after which the second phase will begin.