More than 100 buildings on at-risk register

A total of 104 listed structures and buildings in the town were put on the register by Historic England.

The register is a list of structures, including shops, houses and bridges, that are in a poor condition and are in need or repairs, or are vacant.

A total of 10 per cent of the areas listed structures were found to be ‘at risk’ while two per cent of the area’s listed buildings were found to be in severe risk of rapid deterioration.

A further 33 percent are considered to be in danger of becoming at risk.

The register’s aim, when it was published in 2014/15 is for the buildings to be repaired or brought back into use.

Properties in the town centre on the register include three premises on Leeming Street, Number 11, 34-42 and 46-52 as well as several in Market Place, West Gate and Church Street.

Mansfield mayor Kate Allsop said: “Although not a statutory requirement, Mansfield District Council takes the conservation of its heritage assets seriously and has produced a Buildings at Risk Register as a means to proactively highlight buildings that would benefit from improvements. There are a number of properties on the list, however it should be noted that not all of these buildings are in a state of disrepair or derelict, nor are they at risk of collapse. In some cases the list simply highlights that the property is vacant and therefore has the potential to become problematic in the future.

She said the register is due for review in the near future, however Mansfield District Council are constantly proactively working with landowners to improve buildings.

Mansfield MP Sir Alan Meale said: “This is very, very serious indeed. The mayor needs to wake up. These buildings are currently at risk and it is her duty as executive mayor to find the funding, either from the government or from other sources to renovate these buildings, otherwise we’ll lose them. I congratulate the Chad for highlighting this.”

However, its not all bad news – some of the buildings have now been put back into use such as Nottingham Road Methodist Church and Hall which is in the process of being repaired and redeveloped. The Grade II-listed church was sold in 2013 to raise funds to modernise the old Bethel Methodist Church, also on Nottingham Road. An application for a restaurant conversion was first submitted in April 2014.

And Number 11 Leeming Street could also get a facelift as it is part of a £1 million heritage lottery grant bid.

Owners of the iconic Georgian Boots shop at No. 11, which has been empty for years, are hoping the fund can finally bring the building back into a usable condition and see it open for trade.

Landlords and shop owners in Mansfield will be able to apply for grants to return their properties to their former glory thanks the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The town will be given £921,600, alongside a development grant of £72,500.

Town Mill is also set to be restored to its former glory.

Once known as a music venue, it will reopen as a pub food training academy run by Charnwood Training Group.

The £1.7 million project will see the upper floors opened as a 16-room bed-and-breakfast facility, run by the students, enabling visitors to stay in an historic environment close to the town centre.

It is hoped the business will employ 20 staff and train 50 students each year.