People in Hucknall have spoken of the town's future - and they say it has the 'potential to be the new West Bridgford'. It comes after Ashfield District Council announced the launch of its Hucknall Town Centre Masterplan consultation, giving local residents an opportunity to have their say on how the town centre should be developed in the future.
The council says that the purpose of the masterplan is for innovative change in Hucknall town centre; helping towards supporting sustainable growth, creating new public spaces, revitalising existing buildings and services, and improving the streets for pedestrians. The plan also seeks to capitalise on future aspirations in relation to culture, transport, and urban regeneration.
Some people in the town said the area had great potential. David Langley, who has lived in the town for more than 20 years, said it could soon mirror West Bridgford, a town known for its first-rate schools, array of shops and restaurants and family homes.
Read more: Neighbours 'terrified as major police cordon set up after officer stabbed
Mr Langley, 55, said: "There are a lot of things to like about Hucknall; we have a great transport service, the people are friendly and there are some exciting developments going on. I think the plans that we already have going on are great.
"The area could do with more shops, you know supermarkets and designer clothes shops for sure. I think it is definitely an area that needs more footfall and the key thing is figuring out why more people aren't coming here because I don't know why, other than that it is a bit of a way to travel for people in the city. There's a lot of potential here. I do think it has the potential to be the new West Bridgford, something like that."
Retired 81-year-old Brian Hinsley said the key was getting people to shop in Hucknall. He said: "The area could do with a lot of things. The trouble with Hucknall in my opinion is that they build thousands of houses and yet 99 percent of residents don't shop in Hucknall - they don't go to the market or the shops.
"We have a great tram and bus network but people are using it to go away from Hucknall, not into Hucknall. I'm not quite sure how we can bring people into Hucknall; there's not much footfall at the moment.
" I think changes to the town is something that should have been done 20 years ago. Being 80 years old there's not much that I can think of that would inspire me. Things need putting in a bag and shaking up."
Copies of the draft Hucknall Town Centre Masterplan can be viewed at Sutton, Kirkby, Huthwaite, Hucknall, Skegby and Selston libraries as well as the Council Offices on Urban Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield. One business owner that spoke with NottinghamshireLive highlighted some of the issues he believes that need to be tackled in Hucknall, pointing out the potholes that plague the town as something that needs to be solved.
Jonathan Severn, 52, who owns Lawrence Severn & Son Butchers, based in High Street, said: "We know that there is an issue with crime in Hucknall. We've got to stop the crime rate going up - that's the first thing.
"There also needs to be a public toilet to use in the town centre so that elderly people and some younger people aren't having to walk into pubs to go and use their toilets. Hucknall is a place with a lot of history, it's an ex-mining town and there is a lot of potential in it and the regeneration group have tried to get things going.
"I've always said that the tram stop is too fair away from town. If you're going to have a tram in Hucknall let's have a hopper bus so that people can get to it quickly. Now, we've got plans through for a new health hub which is going to be built right in the areas biggest car parking places - it's like a knife in heart of the town, it's a nightmare. I don't know why they're building it there when you've got a perfectly good lot at Sandy Acre or the where the old police station used to be.
"Hucknall has never been in a state of more prospect - you've got the Top Wighay homes and developments at the old Rolls-Royce site - but the money needs to be used wisely. We do well here because we sell things that other people don't, we've been here for years and we've seen it all. Once a month there needs to be a farmers' market - I don't mind if I get a bit of competition that's going to bring more people into Hucknall town centre."
Full details of the Hucknall Town Centre consultation can be found on the ADC website www.ashfield.gov.uk/hucknall-masterplan. Some happy shoppers have said that they are delighted with Hucknall and are positive about the direction the town is heading in. Anne Kingston, 70, said: "I love Hucknall. I think I was an explorer in my last life because in this one I just don't want to leave Hucknall. I moved to Hucknall from Nottingham and thought 'I'm home'
"We've got the theatre which is great and the tram is handy. I think the tram could do with being a bit closer; it's a bit of a distance for older people to travel. It could do with a few less charity shops and estate agents and barbers because it's full of them; that could be something to improve on."
Gladys Jenkinson, 84, said: "I love it here. It would be great if we could add some dog homes. It can definitely improve, just like any place, there's room for improvement."
Ashfield council officers will be holding public consultations on the following dates:
May 5, 2.00 pm to 7.00pm - Hucknall Leisure Centre, Linby Road, Hucknall, NG15 7TX
May 10, 2.00 pm to 5.00pm - John Godber Centre, Ogle St, Hucknall, NG15 7FQ
May 12, 10.00 am to 1.30pm - United Reform Church, Farleys Grove, Hucknall, NG15 6FG
May 18, 10.00 am to 1.30pm - West Hucknall Baptist Church, Ruffs Drive, Hucknall, NG15 6JN.
It comes after it was announced that a developer has been chosen for the vast Top Wighay Farm development near Hucknall, where there are plans for more than 800 homes off Annesley Road as well as a controversial new Nottinghamshire County Council office, a primary school and potential for a tram extension.
In the future there's potential for a tram stop at the site and the network to be extended to the nearby Whyburn Farm development. The separate development, to the north-west of Hucknall town centre and east of the M1, has been allocated in Ashfield District Council's local development plan for 3,000 extra houses to be built elsewhere on Hucknall’s greenbelt.
