Mansfield District Council and Mansfield MP Ben Bradley are delighted that the Government is to make £1m available to create new urban pocket parks in the town centre.

It is hoped the funding will help to create small green spaces to help boost visitor numbers and encourage people to spend more time in Mansfield town centre.

The scheme could open up darker, less inviting gateways to the town, such as Stockwell Gate.

Among the options for how the funding could be spent include:

Soft play facilities in the town centre
Living wall installations
Upgraded street lighting
Improved bicycle storage facilities
Art installations

The funding has to be spent before the end of April 2021 to kick-start investment coming to Mansfield from the government’s Towns Fund.

Mansfield’s bid to the Towns Fund is for £25m and supports a council programme of district wide investment as well as a new town centre masterplan. These projects also support the council’s strategic priorities for Growth, Aspiration, Wellbeing and Place.

MP Ben Bradley said: “I’ve taken every opportunity possible to ensure Mansfield remains at the top of the list when it comes to funding for our town, and the hard work has clearly paid off as we’ll be getting an extra £1m.

“This comes alongside the £50m we’ve already secured from the Future High Streets Fund and Town Deal last year.

“I’m grateful to Government for making this funding available to improve our town centre and truly level up forgotten areas across the country. I promised constituents that I’d constantly be banging on ministers’ doors for funding, and I’ll continue pushing for improvements to our area.

“It’ll be fantastic to use this £1m to kickstart projects, to get things moving straight away, ahead of the £50m worth of changes to our town centre over the next few years.”

Coun Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said: “We are so pleased to have been given the go-ahead to take this exciting project forward.

“Mansfield is performing well in the economic recovery from the Covid-19 setback and these proposals will certainly help further.

“This scheme supports a council priority to improve the green environment in the district. Bringing more, much-needed greenery to our town centre can only be a good thing ­— and this will not cost local council tax payers anything.”

The new pocket parks and urban greening would boost Mansfield’s bid for £25m from the government’s Future High Streets Fund.

This funding would support the council’s emerging Town Investment Plan to revision the town centre in the face of changing national trends in the way people shop. It includes re-imagining uses for the Market Place.

Coun Richardson added: “Mansfield is on the cusp of major investment, which will help place this district in the best possible place to face the changes and challenges of future years.”

TOP: Mansfield town centre will be transformed thanks to new funding.
PHOTO: Neil Pledger