In January, the Government announced the successful applicants for Round 2 of its Levelling Up Fund (LUF). It was incredibly disappointing that Bolsover District Council’s bid did not make the cut.
While the bid was being drafted, and even before, I held countless meetings with stakeholders to make this a success. It is frustrating that the project ultimately fell through due to what were ultimately avoidable issues on the part of Bolsover District Council.
This bid would have been fantastic for our area. It was to purchase the Co-Op building in Bolsover town centre and turn it into a cultural venue with a cinema, food court, theatre space and other amenities. The bid also involved work to improve shop fronts and the public realm - particularly important in a town with a conservation zone.
Two years ago I launched a high street taskforce in Bolsover with many local stakeholders including the county council, the district council, the Freedom Project, shop owners, English Heritage and the local Chamber of Commerce. The intention was to help the various partners work together and potentially pull together ideas for a future Levelling Up Fund bid.
However, the task force fizzled out when I was told by BDC that a bid for Bolsover was not going to be put forward. This changed about two months before the deadline for submission.
I was delighted that a bid was now being put together in our region with new commercial and residential buildings which included many of the elements we’d discussed in the task force months before that. I helped to set up various meetings in support of the bid, including liaising with Bolsover Town Council on the details. I also wrote a letter of support for the bid and made clear to Ministers that it reflected my priorities for the town.
Bolsover District Council’s £14 million bid was unsuccessful for several reasons; mainly that the funding commitment by the Council fell significantly below the stated minimum level, some of the statistics used in the bid were not compliant with Government guidelines and there was a lack of perceived support for the bid within the Council itself.
I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Council, as well as local council leaders, to ensure Bolsover is successful in the next round of the Levelling Up Fund later this year.
