Bolsover District Council has submitted a bid for a share of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, as they look to ‘regenerate’ Bolsover town centre.
The bid adds up to a sum of £14.2 million, which will be supported by £1.24 million in funding from the District Council and Old Bolsover Town Council. The money is to be committed to a range of projects to help with the regeneration of the centre of Bolsover, as well as bringing in crucial investment.
Councillor Steve Fritchley, Leader of Bolsover District Council, said:
“We are an ambitious council, and this is an ambitious bid to help stimulate growth and providing town centre regeneration as well as cultural opportunities in the town.
“This bid has the potential to deliver significant benefits to the town of Bolsover and our local communities. It illustrates our clear commitment to deliver major development and regeneration of Bolsover District as well as maximising the opportunities that the 100,000 plus visitors to Bolsover Castle bring.
“We are confident that we have put forward a compelling bid, which presents the strongest options in meeting the full criteria of the ‘Levelling Up’ fund and has the potential to make a real difference to a core area of the town centre and our visitor economy.”
The bid is split into three part, with all of them putting a lot of emphasis on progressing the council’s ambition for carbon reduction:
- The regeneration of empty town centre units will be used to create a new Cultural Hub. This will include a small cinema and a theatre, as well as performance space, gallery, food court, museum, and an exhibition space. This part of the plan will also be used to transform a key derelict building into a pace where businesses can develop, especially those in cultural and arts sectors.
- A shop front improvement scheme is to be utilised to improve the general appearance of the town, whilst enhancing the retail offer to residents and visitors alike. Improvements are to be made to the public realm, to encourage visitors to spend more time in the town and connect the town to Bolsover Castle.
- Investment in 5G network will make up the third prong, as well as installing fibre in the town centre to help improve connectivity. Real time bus information and digital information in key locations will be provided to improve the general town centre experience, as well as augmented reality experiences to help increase footfall.
Whilst many local authorities have introduced similar plans as part of their levelling up bids, the use of funding to improve digital connectivity is something that stands out as ‘future-proofing’ as it is bringing the town centre experience into the digital age.
