PRESS RELEASE : £20 million bespoke funding for Mansfield as third Levelling Up Partnership [January 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 8 January 2024.

Mansfield named as the third area to benefit from Levelling Up Partnership .

Mansfield has been confirmed as the third area to benefit from a major £400 million bespoke regeneration programme which forms a key part of the government’s levelling up agenda in England.

The area will receive £20 million to improve the town centre and its connectivity, support residents in the most deprived areas access vital services and help divert young people from crime and anti-social behaviour, and ensure the town is best prepared to benefit from future investment. The government is committed to backing businesses all over the country to grow all regions of our economy.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael 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 £20 million 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.

The investment is made up of:

• £7.4m to remodel the Bellamy and Oak Tree estates and improve housing quality and access to services
• £5m to Mansfield Connect as an exemplar low carbon construction project and for hands-on skills training for retrofit and modern methods of construction in partnership with Vision West Nottinghamshire College and Nottingham Trent University
• £3.2m for a youth centre on the Bellamy estate to help divert young people from crime and anti-social behaviour.
• £2m for streetscaping and public realm improvements in the centre of Mansfield to make the town centre more appealing.
• £2m for improvements to Sainsbury’s junction, a local traffic pinch-point affecting connectivity into the town centre
• £300,000 for the refurbishment of South Mansfield Family Hubs to make them more appropriate for family and youth support
• £250,000 for a school readiness pilot run by Nottingham Trent University in some of Mansfield’s most deprived neighbourhoods
• £250,000 of capacity funding for Mansfield District Council to identity its unique economic and cultural opportunities in preparation for the establishment of the new devolution deal in the East Midlands.

Mansfield District Council and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have worked closely together as strategic partners to identify projects most in need and will continue to work together to deliver the much-needed improvements.

Andrew Abrahams, Executive Mayor of Mansfield District Council, said:

Mansfield is set to receive investment that will make a huge difference to communities and help to deliver some of our place-shaping aspirations for the district.  Through Levelling Up we are investing in people and places to make a brighter future for the residents of Mansfield. These projects will bring life-changing opportunities that will make a real difference in some of our most deprived areas.

We’re pleased to be able to finally announce the full funding package for Mansfield, coupled with the Town’s Fund and Long-Term deal for Towns, the district is set to benefit from substantial amounts of much-needed funding to help build thriving communities, grow a more vibrant economy and a place where people are supported to be happy and healthy.

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.

I’m grateful to the Ministers and the Department for their support in delivering these projects.

Mansfield is one of 20 areas which will receive tailored support through Levelling Up Partnerships announced in the Spring Budget 2023 and focused on areas most in need of levelling up in England.  It follows the announcement last year that Hull and Sandwell have been confirmed as the first two areas to receive the bespoke support. At the Autumn Statement, the Government announced the extension of Levelling Up Partnerships to Scotland.

The Government has begun working with all areas due to form part of a Levelling Up Partnership in England and will update with details of regeneration packages over the next 18 months.

The announcement builds on recent investment in Mansfield with £20m from the Long-Term Plan for Towns, £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund, a £12.3m Town Deal and £2.9m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Overall, we have committed over £13 billion through levelling up funds to improve everyday life for people across the UK.