Levelling Up Fund round two: aspirational plans for Sherwood

Following the District Council's successful bid in July 2021 for round one of funding for Newark, the District Council is preparing a submission of up to three projects focused for the Sherwood area. Projects must fit the themes of transport, regeneration / town centre or culture.

Projects being considered for inclusion include the development of the Ollerton Hub, which will provide new retail, office and residential uses and connect the high street to the Sherwood Energy Village and Tesco. The Hub will also host Ollerton and Boughton Town Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council’s local services.

Also being considered is the redevelopment of an industrial site on Mansfield Road in Clipstone. The redevelopment would transform the area into a highly energy-efficient, low carbon, renewable energy-gathering industrial park of 1000 – 4000 sq. ft. units. It would also address the severe market shortage of similar size and quality stock units and allow low tenant costs in addition to business support via the District Council's Economic Growth team. The project would create new business opportunities providing investment, skills and employment opportunities for the area.

Several additional projects could qualify for a third priority project for inclusion in the bid, including a Clipstone Sports Hub and the redevelopment of the former Rufford Colliery. The options are being assessed before submission in early July 2022.

The Sherwood Levelling Up Steering Board, consisting of the District Council and over 40 public, private and voluntary sector partners, will convene in June to consider which proposals should be included. Views will be supplemented by the results of an online consultation survey, which is currently open for people who live or work in Sherwood to complete until Friday 10 June.

Councillor Rhona Holloway, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Visitors at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Sherwood. It is our hope that with this submission to Government for round two of the Levelling Up Fund, we are able to build upon our success from round one and bring these aspirational plans for regeneration and growth to the Sherwood area.

"Our staff, members and partners continue to work tirelessly to put together this important bid in order to meet the submission deadline of 6 July."

The Levelling Up Fund is a £4.86 billion capital fund inviting proposals from local authority areas for investment in places where it can make the biggest difference to everyday life and support genuine local problems. Newark and Sherwood District Council successfully submitted a 'Newark' parliamentary area bid for £20 million towards the Newark Southern Link Road (SLR) in July 2021. It was one of 17 successful bids out of 84 UK authorities that submitted and the only successful bid from a Nottinghamshire district. Of these, only 13 local authorities nationally secured funding with the Department for Transport and Newark and Sherwood is the only district council in the country to do so.

ENDS