We are to spend £15million across the district as councillors agreed at a recent Executive (opens in a new window) meeting where the Regeneration Fund money would be allocated.

The majority of the money, some £5million, will be spent on public realm improvements in Bolsover town, as well as across key town centres. It will include landscaping and vehicle routes within pedestrian areas; street furniture and signage including high impact visual wayfinding and interpretation; improved welcome entry points; and improvements to open market squares so they become multi-use areas.

£1million has been agreed to improve facades and shop frontages that will help enhance the visual aspect of shops and attract visitors, increasing footfall. The scheme will directly benefit retail or commercial properties and will be delivered in the market towns of Bolsover, Clowne and South Normanton, and be extended to the larger villages of Creswell, Whitwell, Pinxton and Tibshelf.

£4.3million has been allocated to the purchase of and reconfiguration of prominent buildings in Bolsover Town including the former Co-op, former White Swan Public House and 36 and 36a Market Place that will provide creative, business and community facilities in the town.

Pinxton will receive around £700k to refurbish the former Church Hall providing a local community meeting house for community groups, a multi-purpose hall, community café as well as outdoor seating areas and a play area for young children and toddlers.

£4million will be spent in Shirebrook on constructing a Green Skills and Retrofit Skills Centre that will help facilitate training and knowledge transfer of the retro fit green skills and a new Market Place pavilion designed to enhance the visitor experience and encourage further footfall and increasing the amount of time people spend in the market square.

Chief Executive, Karen Hanson said, “When we received notification that this money was place-based, it was agreed to spread it across the district and benefit multiple areas. Places like Whitwell, Tibshelf, Pinxton and Creswell will now see this benefit alongside our major market towns as the projects we have identified and agreed will have a real impact in these areas.

“But it’s not just about enhancing the appearance of the area, it is about providing tangible benefits for businesses and opportunities for our residents where they gain new skills and improve their career prospects which is a key ambition of the Council’s.”