Mansfield mayor reflects on busy 2022 and looks ahead to exciting 2023

It didn’t get off to the best start with Omicron, the hangover from Covid, presenting challenges to our residents’ health and thwarting businesses’ recovery.

It is also fair to say the turbulent political situation, the war in Ukraine and double-digit inflation have not helped people’s and businesses’ faltering confidence, and then on top of that we had the sad loss of our Queen Elizabeth II, a symbolic rock of stability in our lives.

As the effects of the variant began to wane in spring, Mansfield Council supported start-up businesses with grants from the economic stimulus fund.

Along with the 26 grants shared out, the council also offered support, helped fund accommodation and provided specific advice on planning and licensing.

The current administration’s philosophy to stimulate the local economy by giving local contractors and suppliers more opportunities to win work within the district has seen £12.1 million – 38 per cent – of the council’s total

spend of £32m in 2021/22 classed as local spend.

As well as the usual summer festivals, the authority invested £50,000 to bring a stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race to Mansfield.

The route was supported by the Warsop, Mansfield Woodhouse and Forest Town communities and boosted Mansfield’s economy by £500,000.

We’ve also had a phenomenal year for our theatre and museum, with the announcement of nearly £2m of funding from the Arts Council to deliver creative and cultural activity in the community over the next three years.

The pantomime is also back after two years of Covid and smashing box office records.

Our journey to regenerate the district through our Towns Fund projects has been sure and steady, but difficult.

All six of our schemes; West Nottinghamshire College Future Technology Skills Exchange, SMART Mansfield including smart parking, Berry Hill Destination Park, Mansfield Woodhouse Station Gateway, Destination Mansfield events and branding and Warsop Health Hub, have now received the sign-off of their business plans by Government and are at varying stages of planning and design.

However, construction inflation is delaying the progress of the projects, resulting in a review of the projects’ financial viability as the council cannot borrow to accommodate the unprecedented 40-year high inflation rate.

Despite these challenges, we are confident most of them will start on-site in 2023, with completion in 2024 and beyond.

We are doing everything within our power to help with the human cost of this cost of living and energy crisis. This includes freezing Mansfield district’s element of the council tax for the second year and increasing our Discretionary Hardship Fund by 50 per cent.

We have also been collaborating with partners as part of our cost-of-living roadshows to help residents with benefits and financial advice.

“With our great partnership working with Mansfield CVS, Mansfield BID, the Mansfield Health Partnership, West Nottinghamshire College and Nottingham Trent University, to name but a few, I am confident we will continue to ‘ride the storm’ and achieve our ambition for a greener, healthier and happier Mansfield, filled with opportunities for young people.

Thank you to all staff for their hard work and commitment to the residents of Mansfield District.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.