Why Mansfield's outgoing Mayor Andy Abrahams believes the town is set to prosper
Outgoing Mayor Andy Abrahams believes Mansfield is set to prosper thanks to the millions of pounds currently being invested in the town.
The ambitious regeneration scheme will see £150m pumped into the struggling town centre in the coming months as part of the Mansfield District Council-led attempt to breathe new life into the area.
At the heart of the eye-catching plans is the flagship Mansfield Connect scheme which will see the vacant former Beales department store on Stockwell Gate transformed into a vibrant civic, educational, and community hub.
“I always say Mansfield is on the cusp. At the moment we have £150m of private and public investment going into the town centre after decades of nothing,” said Mr Abrahams.
“They are going to be transformational schemes that will reinvigorate Mansfield, increase footfall and bring more private investment after decades of it falling behind.
“I hope that when people come into Mansfield in two years time they look at the town and they can see that Mansfield has changed for the better and that it’s no longer going backwards but going forward.
“I am convinced that with the £35m Mansfield Connect, and also the housing schemes and Market Square upgrade, the town will continue to prosper and I hope they remember that it was my policies that helped deliver it.”
Mr Abrahams, whose role is set to be scrapped as part of the Government’s plans to reorganise councils, also revealed that work on the £2m revamp of the town’s Market Place will begin next month and is expected to take six to eight months.
Work is currenrtly ongoing to remove asbestos as part of the Mansfield Connect project with Mr Abrahams believing the scale of the project will give business in the town a big boost.
“We will have 4-6 partners all working in the town centre and the project (Mansfield Connect) will take two years to complete,” he said.
“We have started work on that already, especially with the asbestos removal. That will mean 500-600 people working in the town centre with 500-600 people visiting every day. That football will help local business and attract more inward investment.
“The White Hart Street development will also create 43 social homes in the town centre and get more people using the services and businesses in the town.”
Mr Abrahams took on the role of Mayor back in 2019 and, while he remains generally supportive of the local government reorganisation plans, he admits it will be an emotional moment when his role ceases.
“It is an emotional time in some respects because I have put a lot of passion into this role,” he said. “I gave it my own personal identity right from the get-go in 2019 because one of my first policies was the Mayor’s 500 Fund, which wasn't money for communities from the council, it was from my own personal allowance.
“My emphasis has always been around helping the community and having that identity with the communities.”