Shirebrook’s Market Place set to be reimaged

The council’s executive has agreed to fund up to £40,000 to help with the delivery of the project and assist with securing additional external funding for the project.

Work has already begun on proposals for Shirebrook town centre as a local plan town centre improvement project and this has led to the creation of the Shirebrook Market Place: REimaged proposals, including:

• Resurfacing Market Place;
• New Shirebrook Town Council building, incorporating public toilets, market stall lock-up and commercial retail/public space;
• Outdoor seating area;
• Potential redevelopment of surrounding vacant sites;
• Supporting existing traders and introducing new themed markets, i.e. craft, arts, flea, continental food, Christmas;
• Stage events in Market Place including music, outdoor theatre and cinema;
• Greater policing and enforcement of traffic and anti-social behaviour rules;
• Greater business and trader engagement to understand their operations, aspirations and concerns.

Design work and costs already drawn up have helped the authority to put in bids for external funding, which has attracted a grant of £90,588 from the Valencia Communities Fund.

Coun Steve Fritchley, council leader, said: “Our town centres need investment and that’s exactly what we are going to give them.

“Shirebrook is unique and we believe it to be one of the largest, if not the largest town centre square in England. We want to make the most of that and attract people to shop, visit and enjoy cultural and social activities.

“This is just the beginning and we will continue to develop Market Square for the benefit of everyone: businesses, residents and visitors.”

Discussions are also taking place with Derbyshire Council to ensure Shirebrook is among the first in the county to receive investment from the bus service improvement plan, providing improvements to bus shelters and the installation of real-time information for bus-users.

A cycle lane is also planned, along with appropriate signage and marketing to attract visitors to Market Place as the Archaeological Way multi-user trail is to be redirected through Shirebrook town centre.

Coun Fritchley said, “Shirebrook is the first town centre to have benefited from additional external funding, but we are continuing with our preparations to bid for Levelling Up funding for Bolsover and are looking at proposals for South Normanton.”