Councillors are getting together to set out a bid for up to £5million-worth of funding to help boost Arnold’s town centre.
Gedling Borough Council will make the bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund and, if successful, will go towards improving the town centre transport access, improve the high street and create a more vibrant centre.
The council needs to submit an expression of interest by March 22 and will then wait to hear if it’s shortlisted before creating a business case in the summer.
Arnold town centre was identified as the best area for the funding bid based on the criteria set out by the government, according to the council.
The criteria requires the town to need investment in infrastructure, transport access and adaption of the high street in response to changing technology.
The bid is part of the council’s ongoing drive to revitalise Arnold town centre.
The council acquired Arnold Market and work has begun to improve the site with new temporary stalls being installed in April alongside the demolition of the old stalls at the same time.
The council also recently improved the Eagle Square area of Arnold and have announced plans, working in partnership with the agents Waypoint, to revitalise Carlton Town Centre with the public having been consulted on the plans.
The council also recently approved plans to employ a new Town Centres & Markets Manager as part of its 2019/20 budget.
More details about how the funding will be used will be discussed at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday (March 19).
The money could be used to create a programme of events, make the town accessible to all with improved access throughout the centre, and bring empty and vacant buildings back into use, all with the aim of increasing the enjoyment of the centre and increase footfall to support local businesses.
Deputy leader of Gedling Borough Council, Cllr Michael Payne said; “We hope the government will agree with us that Arnold Town Centre is the perfect candidate for their Future High Street Fund.
“We’re proud to have invested in refurbishing Arnold Leisure Centre, Bonington Theatre & Cinema and to have purchased Arnold Market and renovated Eagle Square. Our two hours free parking offer has also made a big difference and is here to stay.
He added: “In April we will be installing new, improved temporary stalls on Arnold Market and demolishing the old stalls, we will then work with residents, market traders and local businesses to crack on with creating a modern, vibrant Arnold Market fit for the future.
“We may have lost a little over 60p in every £1 of our funding from central government but this hasn’t stopped us being ambitious our town centres. We hope the government gets behind our bold plans to improve Arnold even further.”
If Arnold is after 5 million how about Calverton getting a million? We really need infrastfucture, road improvements, parking and upgraded shopping facilities, we are about to have a thirty percent increase in residents and cars and we cant cope now!!!!
It’s about time the market was done. It seems all we have in Arnold is charity shops. We need a face lift!
More like it! Best town in the borough and needs money spending to keep it this way. Money on a path in Nevo is a waist of time as that town will always be a dive even if you spent one billion on it.
Let’s get new businesses and leisure to Arnold. I think talk to Intu and ask for a new Arnold shopping centre to be built called the Erndale. Have a cinema in it and best restaurants in the UK.
I mean the Ernehale. Autocorrect
Like what Andy Meads said,calverton needs money spend on it.The shops in calverton are not doing as they could be,as you cannot park.The roads around calverton full of pot holes,some so big you can pull out chunks of coal out.Dont just build houses in calveton as the infrastructure is down the pan now.
In defense Arnold is not the best town in the borough but simply one of them. All the towns deserve equal status and their fair share of money spending on them. Calverton IS falling short now, no I dont live there its and observation, Carlton gets the Square redeveloped (£790k) and Arnold, what the whole 5 million? As if its not been getting the lions share since the council moved offices to Arnot Hill. The town centres been resurfaced improved and done up more times I care to name. Whatever money allocated, awarded, call it what you like should be spent equally on ALL the towns and not GBC ‘jewel in the crown’ greedy Arnold.
Yeah, lets resurface Arnold town centre….again, be about the 4/5th time eh? Arnold, the apple in GBC eye. One bloke on here got it right. Its one of many towns all deserving equal share of monies spent. Arnold DOES always get the Lions share..