Bassetlaw District Council have submitted plans to government in an effort to secure £20million in funding to transform Worksop Town Centre.
The District Council, working in partnership with the Levelling Up Board has applied for a grant through round two of the UK government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF). The bid was submitted last week, well ahead of the 2nd August deadline.
If successful the District Council will redevelop the Priory Shopping Centre delivering a brand new family orientated leisure facility in the heart of the town centre. This will be complemented by a new towpath and moorings along the Chesterfield Canal, a new bridge linking to the north of the town and a focus on town centre living, with under used space being turned into apartments and town houses. A new multi-function market area and food court will also be created in addition to a new cycle hub, with café, changing rooms and lockers.
The bid, shaped by the Levelling Up Board including Bassetlaw MP, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Chaired by Andria Birch, Chief Executive of BCVS will:
- Redevelop the Priory Centre including the development of a brand new leisure facility focused on family orientated activities such as tenpin bowling, indoor soft play facility, Trampoline Park and a café. Redevelopment will retain existing occupiers and bring in new tenants for current empty units.
- Deliver a new green footpath/towpath link along the Chesterfield Canal along with new moorings capitalising on canal boat traffic, whilst improving a green corridor through the town centre.
- Create a footbridge over the Chesterfield Canal resulting in improved connectivity to the main town centre from the residential areas to the north of the town which is one of the most deprived areas within Bassetlaw.
- Enable the redevelopment of the area for new town centre living, bringing two sites forward for development and encouraging underutilised space to be made into apartments and town houses.
- Create a multi-functional market area with a new food court.
- Create a new cycle hub that includes a cafe with changing facilities and bike lockers.
- Improve the existing road surfacing to ensure there is a defined access into the shopping centre.
The bid is designed to encourage people into the town centre and give visitors a reason to stay longer by offering activities and interests that currently do not exist in Worksop. It will also make better usage of the canal and waterways within the town. A successful bid will kick start the improvements required to encourage new investments and create a new sense of confidence for Worksop Town Centre.
Cllr Simon Greaves, Leader of Bassetlaw District Council said:
“We had confirmation from Government last week that our bid has been received and I would like to thank all the members of the public who took the time to give us their views and feedback as well as all the members of the Levelling Up Board for helping shape the bid.
“Levelling Up Funding is crucial to the long term future of Worksop Town Centre. This bid complements developments like the new Bridge Skills Hub and will provide a catalyst to unlock investment, to give people a purpose not just to come into town, but to stay longer in town. We need to create a shift from surviving to thriving. We have strong support from our MP and the County Council and look forward to the Government delivering on their promise to Level Up forgotten areas like Worksop.”
Brendan Clarke Smith, Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw said: "The ‘Levelling Up Fund’ provides Worksop with an opportunity to start the process of regenerating our town centre, to bring new life into empty units and to restore pride in a once thriving high street.
“This will build upon the £17.6m for a new A&E village at Bassetlaw Hospital, which will allow overnight treatment for children to return; the £3.5m funding for the Skills Hub, giving people the opportunity to retrain and reskill; the extra per pupil funding provided to our schools, giving our children the best start in life; the Safer Streets Funding, that provided new CCTV in our town centre to assist the police in making the high street safer and also the support to small businesses during the pandemic with grants, loans and the furlough scheme.
“I am delighted that we have been able to work together in partnership with other stakeholders, including the District Council, to produce a bid we feel gives us the best chance of securing this extra funding and once again delivering a town centre we can be proud of. I would like to thank everybody involved for their hard work in putting this proposal together.”
Chair of the LUF Board, Andria Birch, Chief Executive of BCVS said: “Bassetlaw CVS has been pleased to support development of the Worksop Levelling Up bid submission. The strong and diverse partnership approach has kept community voice at the heart of proposals as they have developed. Levelling Up funding will provide a critical stimulus for the creation of a Better Bassetlaw for everyone. We now look forward to next steps and building on the great work to date once funding is secured.”
Last Updated on Wednesday, September 28, 2022