Mayor's Column: Delivering on sustaining environment, community wellbeing and public safety

​We have installed new CCTV cameras in the town centre, and the night-time support from St John Ambulance has been well received from local businesses, contributing to a safer environment for both residents and visitors.

As a result of including energy efficiency in our contract with our excellent leisure centre partners, More Leisure Community Trust, we have installed solar panels at the Water Meadows Leisure Complex.

These solar panels are expected to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by approximately 26 tonnes of CO2 annually, saving energy bills.

This is another contribution towards the council’s ongoing commitment to climate action and reducing the district’s environmental impact.

What is better for exercise, wellbeing, saving money, and the environment than working on an allotment?

Dale Cross, Mansfield’s allotment officer, has been the driving force behind making new plots available to rent.

This year, the council has transformed former grazing land at its Sandy Lane site into 41 new allotment plots, all of which are now occupied.

Now, there are plans to repurpose a former community allotment at the site to create another 12 plots to reduce a waiting list of almost 250 people in the district who have applied for a plot to start growing their own food.

In 2020, the Covid pandemic forced the closure of all the community pitches at Manor Sport & Recreation Centre, which had been the home for North Notts Hockey Club for over 30 years.

The local hockey club has been able to return to its roots thanks to collaborative working and intervention from Mansfield District Council and by working in partnership with Two Counties Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council to sort out the legal minefield.

It has taken a long time, but with commitment and determination, nine senior teams and a junior section will be training and playing at the complex three times per week again.

The council has also helped to bring the facility back up to scratch and secure its future by providing support for new lighting and electrics, as well as the specialist cleaning of the pitch.

Sport is another great vehicle for exercise, wellbeing, fun, and community. Another project that I am proud of is how we have shaped the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support our community champions.

Working in partnership with Mansfield CVS, we have awarded £148,184 to 22 community and voluntary groups.

We designed the scheme to maximise the opportunities for our community champions to access small amounts of funding to either improve people’s satisfaction of where they live, improve health and wellbeing or tackle some of the issues arising from the cost-of-living crisis.

Each of these funded projects will make a meaningful difference to residents.

Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis continues to be a challenge for everyone, including the council, which anticipates a funding shortfall of circa £3 million by March 2026.

Mansfield is not alone with these challenges caused by increases in inflation that are driving up the price of energy, fuel, materials, increases in pay awards, and the cost of recruitment spiralling because of skill shortages.

On September 16, the council will be launching a three-week consultation with residents to understand from the community which services should be prioritised.

Your views are important so we can sustain our work to improve the environment, wellbeing and safety of all our residents.