The unpaid heroes looking to make town brighter

THE achievements of Ashbourne Town Team in bringing Ashbourne’s Levelling Up Funding bid to the stage it has now reached must not be understated.

Around half a dozen unpaid people have put together a blueprint for a complete transformation for Ashbourne, which covers everything from Market Place improvements to a rethink of our high street.

And tomorrow we find out whether they’ve done enough not only to put the town in with a shout of acquiring a

£12 million government grant, but toppling Matlock’s rival bid.

There’s often a perception that Ashbourne is the poor relation to Matlock. The town that provides Derbyshire with a seat for both the county and district councils has a string of green flags for its parks, and a better functioning road network largely free of HGVS.

But perhaps this is Ashbourne’s chance for a bit of TLC. Perhaps this is the time for a cash injection that could reverse the apparent demise of our high street, and perhaps this is the opportunity to attract new businesses and smarten up unloved areas of the streetscape.

We’ve got a long way to go, but we now have more than a glimmer of hope that, by the autumn, we can all celebrate a massive boost for the town centre, which will benefit everyone, residents and business owners alike.

And it’s all down to the efforts of a few people who got together with a common goal - to make a difference and to improve Ashbourne.

The town team has already achieved a lot in the few years since it formed, but it could be about to make a much, much bigger name for itself.