A new bid for the Levelling Up Fund - Blog February 2022
Timothy Crawshaw, Planning and Development consultant & RTPI President
Some of you may recall that a Masterplan was developed for Worksop Town Centre in 2020 and 2021 to attract funding from the Government under the Levelling Up Fund and other initiatives. The last bid for funding was unsuccessful and the Council is keen to work with the local community and businesses to develop a second Levelling Up Fund bid in the Spring of 2022.
Working closely with local Councillors and Brendan Clarke-Smith MP, Bassetlaw District Council is keen to get as many views as possible to ensure that the new bid is supported by the local community and will help to transform Worksop Town Centre.
I have been engaged by the Council to support the community engagement and consultation to develop projects the provide great value for money and make a real difference to the Town Centre. Over the past year I have got to know Worksop well and this is an opportunity for local people to share their aspirations and ideas that will shape the future for now and for future generations.
There are a few things that we need to consider in terms of shaping the ideas, these include:
- The ideas and projects need to be within Worksop Town Centre (The Masterplan covered a much wider area than the Levelling Up Fund bid will be able to cover)
- The projects need to be realistic and costed and demonstrate value for money
- The projects need to be able to demonstrate how they will attract further investment in the future
At the moment nothing is decided, however there are some opportunities that are based on specific parts of Worksop Town Centre. These have been chosen either because there are vacant or underused premises, there is a need to resolve problems with traffic or because there are other challenges, such as flood risk.
The three areas chosen are:
- The Priory Centre and surrounding area
- Bridge Street
- The Upper Town around the Savoy Cinema
However, these are only initial suggestions, and the Council is keen to hear your ideas.
The Priory Centre and Surrounding Area
The Priory Centre adjoins Bridge Place and is alongside the Canal on one side adjacent to the car park. The River Ryton passes underneath the Priory Centre through a culvert and reappears behind the shops on Bridge Street after passing under the road, it is possible to see the course of the river in the patterns in the paving. The culvert contributes in part to the flood risk in Worksop Town Centre because when the water level gets high enough the channel becomes blocked, and the river breaks its banks. Alongside other works on the River Ryton re-opening the river and providing more room for water will help to reduce flood risk in the Town Centre.
Close to the Priory Centre the road network needs to be improved to make it easier to access the Town Centre via walking and cycling and the current road layout causes congestion. The area around Victoria Square is a key entry point to the Town Centre and requires improvement. There are also several possible sites where new development could take place close to the canal and the Priory Centre and by changing this area a new range of uses could be developed whilst also dealing with flood risk in the Town Centre. The Bridge Skills Hub has recently been redeveloped as a hub for education and training and this will increase footfall in the area.
The possible range of uses that could be accommodated in this area include housing, retail, leisure uses, bars and restaurants, taking advantage of the waterside setting.
Bridge Street
Bridge Street has an old street pattern and many attractive historic buildings that add to the character of the Town Centre. This traditional shopping street has, like many high streets, undergone changes recently due to changes in shopping habits and the impact of the pandemic. However, the character of Bridge Street is distinctive and hosts a regular market. There are opportunities to improve the shopfronts and key buildings and sites along bridge street and also to make better connections to key historic and cultural assets such as Worksop Castle and the Acorn Theatre. By improving these connections Bridge Street would be more accessible from different directions, increasing footfall and shared trips whilst also providing links to the Canch, a popular attraction.
Increasingly people are using town centres for leisure and to enjoy public spaces and Bridge Street is close to some key public spaces and has an attractive width and form. Middletons to the south of Bridge Street is a key regeneration scheme and this will be a new attraction that will also increase footfall. There are a number of empty shops that could be brought back into use through investment and there are a lot of opportunities to create high quality housing in the upper storeys.
Through improving the quality of the public spaces, making better east to west connections and possibly the creation of a new square Bridge Street could become a focus for high quality independent retail, restaurants and cafes clustered around the theatre and improved opportunities for play and relaxation. What would you want to see on Bridge Street?
The Upper Town Around the Savoy Cinema
The Savoy Cinema is an established attraction next to the main public square in Worksop. There are several important historic buildings nearby such as the Old Ship Inn which is currently vacant. The health centre is in this area too and the Town Hall and offices are also close by. The closure of the Magistrates Court and the recent demolition of the Mayfair Centre provides an opportunity for the transformation of this area of town with a new and bold purpose.
Through improving the quality of the Market Place and through investment in vacant and underused sites and buildings the area could be transformed. Changes to the use of offices following the Pandemic will potentially have an impact on the footfall in this part of town and the range of uses could change in the future.
With key themes of leisure and health and wellbeing this area is close to both Bridge Street and the main shopping streets, open spaces such as The Canch and Clumber Park to the south.
These suggestions are designed to start a conversation and your ideas are important. There is going to be a two stage process where you can have your say. Initially in February the Council will be starting to facilitate conversations to get as many ideas as possible and then these will be used to develop the projects that will be consulted on in March and April.
Look out for our Market Stalls and walking tours that will be an opportunity to ask questions and understand the bidding process better. In addition, the Council is working closely with the BCVS to reach a wide variety of groups, and these will be events in the Town Centre that the public can attend and get involved in the conversations.
Last Updated on Wednesday, May 8, 2024