Millions of pounds in levelling up funding has been pledged for the borough of Gedling - and people in the town of Arnold have suggested ways they believe the money could be spent wisely. Gedling Borough Council has been allocated more than £2.8m from the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund [UKSPF] to help level up the community – the money could be used in various ways from regenerating run down high streets to fighting anti-social behaviour.
It's led to talk from people passing through Arnold town centre who outlined the improvements they'd like to see. Several members of the public said they'd like cash to be pumped into roads to fix potholes.
Jim Oswin, who lives in Arnold, said: "You could complain about pot holes. I do not think the streets are cleaned as well as they might be. They do not seem to do much for the other areas off the main street."
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A retired Arnold couple, who asked not to be named, said: "We could do with repairing some of the roads and potholes in the roads. It needs to be properly tackled. It seems wherever you go it is full of pot holes. They fix them and then six months later it needs to be done again."
Fred Harrison, who lives locally, joined the calls for the money to be spent on improving roads. He said: "Roads could do with improving, the surfacing of the roads."
As well as the £2.8m pledged to Gedling, more than £4.2m has been allocated to wider Nottinghamshire. Other suggestions of how the money in Arnold could be spent ranged from installing more toilets and new coming up with fresh incentives to encourage new businesses to open. It comes as the town centre undergoes major regeneration, with the town awaiting the opening of the new AMP at the revamped Arnold Market Place.
The AMP, scheduled to open soon, forms the centrepiece of the £4m Arnold Market regeneration project. The redevelopment, that's designed to attract independent businesses and create an impressive gateway into the town, marks the biggest investment Arnold has ever received.
The AMP, between the Methodist Church and King George V park, has provision for 16 stalls and should be ready to use this spring. Potential tenants have been asked to contact Gedling Borough Council about renting spaces.
Tom Randall, the Conservative MP for Gedling, has welcomed the latest £2.8m investment saying that the borough's "best days lie ahead". He added: "I am determined to work with the Conservative Government to ensure that everyone from across Gedling is able to reach their full potential.
"That is why I welcome the investment of £2,866,555 for Gedling borough and £4,255,273 for Nottinghamshire, which can be used across a range of projects from supporting adults who lack basic numeracy skills, helping young people into good jobs, and regenerating our high streets.
“This investment will help Gedling borough residents to fulfil their potential, while reducing regional inequalities that have been left untouched for too long. To secure this investment, Gedling Borough Council have been asked to submit a bid to Government detailing how they will spend the £2,866,555. I am really interested in what residents across Gedling would like to see this money spent on and I therefore encourage constituents to email me with their ideas. I will then share those with the council."
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “We always welcome funding that will help improve the lives of our residents but the devil is in the detail. This money has not yet been given to the council and there is an added layer of bureaucracy, as we need to provide an investment plan, which will take officer time and resource and doesn’t guarantee that we will get this much needed money. We previously applied for the £20 million Levelling Up fund and did not receive a penny so we hope we can fair better with this £2.6 million pot, that is allocated over a three year period but with no indication if funding will continue after that, something the EU funding was more transparent on. We will do everything we can to draw this funding from government to help support our most vulnerable residents, our communities and local businesses and we hope that the MP for Gedling and the government will support our application for the funding.”
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove added: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will help to unleash the creativity and talent of communities that have for too long been overlooked and undervalued. By targeting this funding at areas of the country that need it the most, we will help spread opportunity and level up in every part of the United Kingdom.”
