The UK 'ghost town' that is about to be revived with a huge £20m revamp
Gedling Borough Council has confirmed it is accepting the £20m to invest in the Carlton Square shopping hub.
The fortunes of a Nottinghamshire shopping hub could be revived thanks to a huge £20m investment.
Earlier this year, it was announced the massive sum would be invested in the Carlton Square shopping precinct as part of the Government’s towns fund project.
The funding, which Gedling Borough Council (GBC) has accepted, formed part of Jeremy Hunt’s March budget. Following the acceptance, the GBC will now decide how the money will be used.
The financial boost to the area comes three years after Carlton Square failed in its bid to become part of the Levelling Up Fund in 2021. Despite this failure, £350,000 was raised to update the car park.
While the funding is welcome to the GBC as it enables them to invest in the area, it has proved contentious among local people.
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Speaking to NottinghamshireLive, Just Delicious manager Lorna Needham said: “I don’t believe the council is thinking about what we need or want. It’s about what they want and what can make them money.”
In contrast, Julie Hall, a volunteer at the Second Glance charity shop, said the new investment would help build on an area with sufficiently good travel links.
On where the money should be spent, the manager of Second Glance Steph Thompson said: "They need to redo the pavements. More lampposts are needed because it gets so dark at night nothing is visible."
Alongside accepting the £20m of funding, GBC is also thinking about the long-term future of Carlton and how to grow the area’s prosperity over the next decade. As part of these ambitions, the GBC will begin a public consultation thinking about the next 10 years for Carlton.
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What’s more, Gedling and Carlton Square aren’t the only parts of Nottinghamshire that have been on the receiving end of fresh funding, with Clifton also receiving a financial boost.
Investing in towns is a key part of the Government’s 'Levelling Up' strategy. Earlier this year, a further 30 towns were chosen to benefit from the Conservative Party’s Levelling Up windfall.
Speaking about the investment last month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We the Conservatives have a plan for towns because we know they are the beating heart of our country. This bold action will transform 30 more towns – reviving their high streets, growing their local economies and making people feel proud of the place they call home.
"Labour’s record in government shows they don’t care about towns – neglecting their needs, allowing them to decline and focusing instead on cities. Sir Keir Starmer has no plan to unlock opportunities in towns and would take us back to square one."
