MP says Mansfield has to turn huge potential into reality

It was wonderful to see Mansfield reach the top 100 most ‘picturesque’ towns on Instagram this week too.

Close to a quarter of a million people have shared photos with #Mansfield.

I reckon about half are from my account, so the rest of Mansfield has some catching up to do.

Get sharing.

It’s true that there is so much potential in this town.

Though the town centre itself is the source of so many issues right now, from antisocial behaviour or drugs to homelessness or empty shops, it’s also potentially a huge asset.

Not many places can boast the beautiful architecture and history that Mansfield has to offer.

I’ve always said that if you look above the shop-line at the buildings themselves, Mansfield town centre is a gem.

READ THIS: Shout out for all that's good about Mansfield.

The same is true for Woodhouse and Warsop too, with gorgeous stone buildings that have stood the test of time.

So it’s incumbent on politicians at all levels to make sure that the bit at ground level is just as attractive.

That’s why I’ve been working towards securing funding for investment in our town centres, and why I was delighted to see the Future High Streets Fund (£675 million) and Stronger Towns

Fund (£1.6 billion) come forward over the last few months.

Whatever happens in the local elections in a few weeks’ time I look forward to working with the new mayor and council to ensure that together we can bring as much of this funding to Mansfield as possible and make the most of the great potential that we have all around us in this part of the world.

At the heart of Sherwood Forest , Mansfield has a chance in the coming years to cement its place in that visitor economy, and it’s one the town can’t afford to miss.