Mansfield set for £1.07m funding boost to bring empty buildings back into use
Vital cash from the Derelict Buildings Fund now available to help transform Mansfield
A £1.07m cashpot has been secured to help transform run-down parts of Mansfield.
The Derelict Buildings Fund cash is part of a £210m package announced alongside the Budget to bring empty and derelict buildings back into use, put communities back in control of valued local assets and breathe new life into high streets.
Mansfield MP Steve Yemm weclomed the news and said it was much-needed.
"I grew up in Mansfield, and I know how much our town centre means to people here. Seeing buildings left empty and falling into disrepair has been hard to watch,” he said.
"Empty, run-down units put off the investment and new businesses a town centre needs. This £1.07m gives us the chance to change that and bring those buildings back into use.
“I think as we look around the district, we could highlight a lot of spots where that (restoring them) might be a very useful thing for us to be able to do.”
The Derelict Buildings Fund can be used to transform vacant and derelict buildings, such as old shopping centres and cinemas, into facilities communities need, including shared workspaces, cafés, health centres and community hubs.
While Mansfield District Council will ultimately have the deciding say and will report to the government on where it intends to spend the money, local authorities are advised to engage with the local MP and the community on plans – and should begin doing this by the end of the year. Mr Yemm said a long list of potential buildings should be drawn up by the end of the year. The first slice of the £1m will then be paid in the spring of 2027.
The funding comes in addition to Mansfield District Council recently signing up to the High Street Rental Auctions (HRSA) scheme, which allows the authority to require landlords to auction their empty properties if no tenant is found within a three-month period.
Both schemes are part of the government’s “Hope on the High Street” strategy, which is seeing £210m provided in total across different funds to “reimagine and revive struggling high streets.”