Mansfield to get £20m to improve centre and facilities

Out of the money, £2m will be invested in cleaning up the town centre and making it more appealing to visitors

A Nottinghamshire market town is set to get £20m from the government's £400m bespoke regeneration programme.

The funds for Mansfield will be used for various projects including improving the town centre and the Bellamy and Oak Tree housing estates.

Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, said some local areas had been "overlooked" for too long.

Mansfield District Council said the projects would bring "life-changing opportunities... in deprived areas".

The town has been confirmed as the third area in England to benefit from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities programme.

It includes £7.4m to improve housing and access to services in the Bellamy and Oak Tree estates.

A new £3.2m youth centre and community centre is planned for the Bellamy estate to help divert young people from crime and anti-social behaviour.

A low-carbon construction project, which aims to provide hands-on training skills for retrofitting, is set to receive £5m.

Two million pounds will be invested in cleaning up the town centre and making it more appealing to visitors.

Another £2m will be used to create a new junction on the A60, at Sainsbury's, to ease congestion and improve connectivity into the town.

Money will also be spent on refurbishing south Mansfield family hubs, expanding the school readiness scheme and supporting the new devolution deal in the East Midlands.

'Game-changer'

Mr Gove said: "Levelling Up Partnerships are a key tool to drive much-needed change in local areas, and we are working intensively with places, which for too long had been overlooked and undervalued.

"Our £20m funding for Mansfield will help remodel the Bellamy and Oak Tree housing estates, develop young people's green construction skills in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, address anti-social behaviour, and support East Midlands' devolution deal."

Andrew Abrahams, mayor of Mansfield District Council, said: "The investment will make a huge difference to communities and help to deliver some of our place-shaping aspirations for the district.

"These projects will bring life-changing opportunities that will make a real difference in some of our most deprived areas."

Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "The Levelling Up Partnership represents a chance for us to tackle some long-term and important issues for our area, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

"Major investments in the Oak Tree and Bellamy estates will be a game-changer for our ability to support people and deliver public services.

"Residents will also know that the Sainsbury's junction has been a personal mission of mine for several years so I'm delighted we've been able to secure this funding."