Gedling Borough Council has launched a consultation on proposals to revamp Arnold Market Place.
People are being urged to have their say on the plans which include a new two-storey building with permanent small business units and a revamped market.
A consultation on the ideas and concepts will begin on Monday and the council is urging residents to have their say and help shape the future of the market.
The market will receive the most significant investment it has ever had with up to £4 million allocated to the project as part of the council’s plan to revitalise the centre and create a new space that will help boost visitors to the town centre and support local businesses.
The proposals include the construction of a new landmark building, between the existing Methodist Church and King George V Park. A two-storey building will frame the new market place as well as create a new eastern gateway into Arnold Town Centre. A new public space will be created as a central focal point for the Market. The new building will provide seven small outlets for local independent businesses with flexible space above, which could be used for a variety of commercial options.
Funding for this project will come from the council’s capital programme budget, boosted by a successful bid for £1.25 million from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund that supports town centre improvements. The project will create around 40 new jobs through business employment and through the construction of the new buildings.
There will be several public consultation events taking place around Arnold. The first will take place on Friday, February 28 at the Market on Front Street, Arnold from 10am – 2pm. The public will be able to view the designs and talk to Council Officers and Councillors about the plans.
There will also be consultation events at Arnold Methodist Church and at the Gedling Business Partnership Forum. Local stallholders and businesses will be invited to attend specific consultation events, focused on how the changes will affect them and how they can have an input into the plans.
The council has hired Maber Architects, who specialise in landscape and master planning services, to design the initial concepts and they are working with Architect students from Nottingham Trent University to help bring the ideas to life.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We are very excited to share these ambitious ideas for Arnold Market Place. The market and the town centre will benefit from the biggest investment it has ever received and we want residents and businesses to be involved from the outset, which is why we have opened this consultation period.
We want to create a place that will encourage new, exciting business opportunities whilst making sure the essence of the market, which has stood there for over 50 years, is not lost. We made a promise to our residents that we would invest in Arnold Town Centre and the Market and you can see from these plans, that we are keeping that promise.
We will make sure residents and businesses are involved every step of the way but, we also want to reassure them that we will be moving quickly to get work started. It’s a very exciting moment for Arnold and for the council, we hope residents will be pleased with the ideas and designs and we really want them to have their say during the consultation period.”
Why do the council have to spend money on Arnold every year without fail , there are other areas that could do with some improvements.
How about spending the money on fixing the potholes on every street instead of some vanity project.
Susan
It ,s really good news to hear that arnold market is getting a new 2 storey building, put up, I look forward to see it for real, it certainly procress for the future.