Government minister Michael Gove says £20m of ‘levelling up’ cash has been given to transform a Mansfield department store so the town can unlock its potential and overcome a shortage of private sector investment. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities visited the town on Thursday (May 18) to meet with local leaders to discuss their plans for the former Beales site.
While welcoming the funding, the town’s Labour mayor Andy Abrahams said he had told Mr Gove to speed up the arrival of the money “so we can crack on with it”. Mr Gove’s visit came four months to the day after his department confirmed a £20m bid, led by Mansfield District Council, had been successful for the derelict Stockwell Gate building.
The large department store closed its doors in 2019 after Beales went into administration and has remained vacant ever since. However, the ‘Levelling Up Fund’ cash will be used to breathe new life into the building by turning it into a “one-stop-shop” public sector hub.
