Mansfield District Council has confirmed a major milestone for the flagship Mansfield Connect project in the town centre.
The contractor, Kier, has completed the first phase of work, with the removal of the former pedestrian link bridges, the safe removal of asbestos, and the stripping of the former department store building at Stockwell Gate and Queen Street. Kier’s contracted works conclude on 29 May, and the building will be returned to the Council’s management.
The next phase will include work to improve the façade along Four Seasons and One Beyond, where the bridges once were, as well as the completion of the design and the continuation of preparations for a planning application for the Mansfield Connect building.
Mansfield’s Elected Mayor, Andy Abrahams, commented: “We are really pleased that the work on Mansfield Connect has reached another critical stage.
This has been a complex task at a site in a busy town centre location, and maintaining public safety throughout has been our priority. Our partnership with Kier has been of the highest standard, and we thank Kier for their positive engagement throughout with us as a Council, with local businesses, and with members of the Mansfield public.
I’d also like to thank the businesses in the immediate area for their patience, particularly when Stockwell Gate was temporarily closed during the bridge removals. I’m looking forward to the next phase with much excitement. It will transform the town and make it a better place to work and live.”
Tony Shenton, Acting Managing Director for Kier Construction Eastern & Midlands, added: “This marks a key milestone for the Mansfield Connect project, and Kier is proud to have supported the Council in preparing the site so they can move forward with securing planning permission for the next stage.”
Mansfield District Council purchased the former Beales site in 2021 and, working closely with its partners, Mansfield Connect forms a key part of the Council’s ambitious regeneration plans, bringing public, education, and community support services together in the centre of the town. Mansfield Connect is supported by funding from the UK Government.
