Ben Bradley, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council and Member of Parliament for Mansfield. (Photo credit: Tracey Whitefoot)
However, it is important to note that locally we have the strong leadership and positive partnerships needed to ensure success for our area.
In recent months and years we have secured a range of projects that have the potential to completely transform Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and the wider region.
We need to only look at two weeks ago with the amazing announcement that Nottinghamshire will host a world leading fusion reactor, just a few miles from Mansfield, to see that we’ve got a bright future.
Amongst the plans for Mansfield is putting the former Beales building to positive use, says Coun Ben Bradley MP
Amongst the plans for Mansfield is putting the former Beales building to positive use, says Coun Ben Bradley MP
This announcement is combined with other projects like our Devolution Deal, Integrated Rail Plan investment, our Freeport, £12.5m Towns Fund money in Mansfield and a further Leveling Up fund project to come, a £76m Severn Trent pilot scheme introducing thousands of new green spaces in our district…
The list is endless. These and other projects show there is a lot to be optimistic for in our region.
The Towns Fund and Leveling Up Fund bids have the potential to transform Mansfield town center into the vibrant hub we all know it can be.
We already secured just over £12m to start work on things like Smart Parking, for example, and delivering the Town Center Masterplan.
We’ve seen private sector investment with derelict sites already turned in to new hotels and restaurants. Our Leveling Up Fund bid, due to be decided in November, will revitalize Stockwell Gate and bring the old Beale’s building back in to positive use. The potential is huge.
Key to delivering all of these projects, which do take time to deliver, is stability and long-term thinking.
Whilst down in London things may appear to be chaotic, locally we do have this stability and that long term vision of how to develop Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands as a whole.
We’re working together as partners, across councils, education, business and more, to ensure that we get these things done.
We see this in the East Midlands Devolution Deal, where we worked cross party with numerous different councils of differing political persuasions to secure this extra £1bn of long-term funding this summer.
Locally we also have strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as the partnership between West Notts College and Nottingham Trent University that is a game changer for our opportunities to learn and progress.
We’re seeing this begin to work, with the first nursing students at Nottingham Trent’s Mansfield campus recently graduated.
Whatever happens down in Westminster I know that we can progress these projects that are so vital for the development of Mansfield and our region.
I will continue to work with our local partners and develop the council’s relationship with key stakeholders in order to ensure we continue to deliver these projects and see our long-term vision through.