Seven areas of the East Midlands are to get a share of a £140million investment towards regeneration and supporting communities.
Carlton, Chesterfield, Clifton, Kirkby in Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Worksop will each get £20m over the next 10 years.
The money, available from April, is from the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods project which is releasing £1.5bn to 75 areas in the UK that were assessed on criteria including deprivation, life expectancy and need for investment.
Neighbourhood Boards made up of residents, businesses and campaigners will be created to help decide how to spend the funds.
High streets, parks, youth clubs, cultural venues, libraries and health and wellbeing services can benefit through a “holistic and long-term” approach “to deliver meaningful change in the day-to-day lives of local people”, the government said.
The boards can choose from options ranging from repairs to pavements, and high streets to setting up low-cost community grocers as well as co-operatives or even neighbourhood watch schemes.
Speaking about the funding announcement, Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “I am pleased that the Government has developed a Plan for Neighbourhoods which gives seven areas of the EMCCA region the chance to build thriving places, strengthen communities, and empower people to take back control of the future of their local centres.”
“While these places have been working hard on their plans for several years, the Plan for Neighbourhoods contains greater flexibility than previous schemes – plus the vital assurance that the funding is in place. This means that local places – led by a ‘Neighbourhood Board’ – can crack on and deliver the change they want to see.”
“Devolution is not just about strategic authorities like EMCCA having more powers – it is also about local places and people having the space, resources, and power to put their own vision into practice. The people of Carlton, Chesterfield, Clifton, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, and Worksop will benefit from both the funding and support to do this, and the region is keen to back them in this.”
