On Friday Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher brought together local stakeholders for the first meeting of the Bolsover High Street Task Force.
The Task Force is charged with developing ambitious plans to regenerate and improve Bolsover’s town centre to become the pre-eminent market town in North Derbyshire. The task force is looking to build on the existing strengths the town has, including Bolsover Castle, a wide-range of independent shops and the strong community spirit in the town.
Bringing the key stakeholders together to gain investment into Bolsover town centre has been one of Mark’s key aims since being elected back in 2019. The general decline of town centres due to online shopping in conjunction with the pandemic has highlighted the need to make sure that Bolsover’s town centre has the tools and infrastructure it needs to compete with the demands of the 21st century.
The new High Street Task Force aims to bring together various stakeholders including Bolsover District Council, Visit Bolsover, Derbyshire County Council, Old Bolsover Town Council and charities such as the Freedom Project. It is hoped that the project will start to shape a vision for Bolsover town centre so that it can thrive for years to come.
In its initial meeting, the Task Force discussed what the future of the town would look like, including discussions around how Bolsover makes the most of its brilliant shopping and tourism potential. Further meetings will be held in the coming weeks with a view to bringing together a bid for the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Commenting Mark said:
“I’m really grateful to everyone today for coming along to the first meeting of the Bolsover High Street Task Force. Town centres throughout the UK have really struggled over the last few years and we want to make sure that Bolsover has a vibrant town centre for many more years.
“Today’s discussion has been really important for bringing a number of key stakeholders together to get everyone in the same room and speaking to one another. Making sure that we bring together businesses, various local authorities, charities and other stakeholders will be vital to making sure that we shape a sustainable and robust vision for the Bolsover District.”
“Bolsover’s town centre is already blessed with historic buildings and has huge potential for tourism, which can act as a honeypot for many other attractions locally. But we need all our key stakeholders working together to deliver a thriving town, where shopping, culture, jobs heritage and economic growth go hand in hand”.
