New £25m fund for Mansfield 'puts town in best possible place', says mayor

News that Mansfield is to receive £25million of funding from central government has been hailed by the district council.
Mansfield Town Centre.Mansfield Town Centre.
Mansfield Town Centre.

The government announced today that Sutton and Kirkby town centres are to receive £25million each, to be ring-fenced for projects the council wants to start.

It is part of the new 'Town Funds', which aims to pump funds into town centres across the country - with Mansfield part of 100 areas to receive the funding including Sutton and Kirkby.

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And Mansfield's mayor Andy Abrahams has welcomed the funds, saying it puts the town in the "best possible position" to revitalise the town centre.

Mansfield Town Centre.Mansfield Town Centre.
Mansfield Town Centre.

He said: “This is a really exciting time for Mansfield town centre, our residents, businesses and visitors.

“The news today of the Town Fund, in addition to the bid Mansfield District Council is developing for Future High Streets funding, puts us in the best possible position to be able to realise our ambitious plans to revitalise key areas, create local jobs and bring in new business.

“We are already working with partners who share our aspirations and we will continue to work with the local community to build a prosperous and sustainable future for our town.

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“The council looks forward to receiving official confirmation about the Towns Fund and further details of the criteria for funding from the government in due course.”

Mansfield Town Centre.Mansfield Town Centre.
Mansfield Town Centre.

Mansfield District Council is already working on a bid for £25m from the Future High Streets Fund after securing up to £150,000 in July to create detailed masterplans for the town centre.

In addition, several projects to revitalise Mansfield are already underway as the £1.4m refurbishment of Old Town Hall nears completion, while a £2.4m project to improve the appearance of Walkden Street car park is due to start in the autumn.

The Mansfield Townscape Heritage Project, which benefited from nearly £850,000 of National Lottery Heritage Fund grants, to renovate properties in parts of Leeming Street, the Market Place and Stockwell Gate was launched earlier this week.

Ben Bradley, the town's MP, has also welcomed the funding.

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He said: "I am ecstatic with today’s news that Mansfield has successfully secured a £25m Town Deal! This is massive for our area and exactly what we’ve been campaigning for.

"When I became an MP, I committed to shouting up for the constituency because Mansfield and Warsop had been forgotten for too long.

"There's so much we need to do, and I am delighted that Government is taking action and giving our town the support it needs with this once-in-a-generation Town Deal.

"This is our chance to deliver on the key priorities that I’ve been working on since being elected: regenerating the high street, supporting new jobs and boosting our tourism plan to link up with Sherwood Forest.

"This £25m is a massive amount of money and will make the biggest difference to Mansfield and Warsop.”