19th January 2023
PRESS RELEASE from Bassetlaw District Council
Worksop is set to benefit from £20 million of investment, after the Government awarded Bassetlaw District Council an £18 million Levelling Up fund grant to transform the town centre. The Council and partners will contribute an additional £2 million in funding to support the Levelling Up project, bringing the total to £20 million.
The funding will initially focus on the redevelopment of the Priory Centre including the creation of a new family-focused leisure facility with activities such as tenpin bowling, indoor soft play, a trampoline park and a café. The scheme will look to retain existing occupiers and bring in new tenants for empty units. The works will also create a new towpath link along the Chesterfield Canal, improve a green corridor through the town centre, and bring two sites forward for the development of new apartments and town houses.
Councillor James Naish, Leader of Bassetlaw District Council said: “We have a long-term vision for the regeneration of Worksop town centre and the Levelling Up funding is key to attracting further investment and unlocking the town’s potential. Our immediate focus will be the redevelopment of the Priory Centre with new leisure facilities, encouraging people into the town centre and giving visitors a reason to stay. This builds on the recent investment in the town centre through the Bridge Skills Hub and the new Middleton’s Yard development, creating a growing sense of confidence for Worksop.”
The bid was shaped by a Levelling Up Board which included the District Council and Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith, and was chaired by Andria Birch, Chief Executive of BCVS. It will:
* Redevelop the Priory Centre including the development of a brand-new leisure facility focused on family-orientated activities such as tenpin bowling, an indoor soft play facility, a trampoline park and a café. The redevelopment will retain existing occupiers and bring in new tenants for current empty units.
* Deliver a new green footpath/towpath link along the Chesterfield Canal along with new moorings, capitalising on canal boat traffic whilst improving a green corridor through the town centre.
* Create a footbridge over the Chesterfield Canal resulting in improved connectivity to the main town centre from the residential areas to the north of the town which is one of the most deprived areas within Bassetlaw.
* Enable the redevelopment of the area for new town centre living, bringing two sites forward for development and encouraging underutilised space to be made into apartments and town houses.
* Create a multi-functional market area with a new food court.
* Create a new cycle hub that includes a café with changing facilities and bike lockers.
* Improve the existing road surfacing to ensure there is defined access into the Shopping Centre.
