You have not been shy with ideas for how to make the town better
Ashbourne Town Team’s ALBERT GOLDING returns with news of how our much-needed Levelling-up fund bid is going, and what improvements will be made this summer
THERE is just over a month to go before Ashbourne’s bid for significant regeneration funding for improving Ashbourne town centre has to be formally submitted to the Government on July 6.
Derbyshire Dales District Council and its consultant team are working hard finalising the bid to meet the Government’s technical criteria for bid submission.
This includes gathering evidence on what local support there is for the planned improvements, as well as collecting up to date information on what is currently happening in Ashbourne’s town centre.
Ashbourne Town Team is working in partnership with the district council and the consultant team to ensure that our Levelling-up fund bid is strong and deliverable and achieves value for money in regenerating the town.
You may have seen town team members in the town centre over the last week collecting much-needed pedestrian flow information.
Not only was this an important part of the bid preparation but it also enabled local residents to express their views on what should happen to make the town better.
As always, Ashbourne residents are not shy in coming forward with ideas!
Particularly important is the research that the Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan Group put together during the formal consultation on the draft Ashbourne Neighbourhood Plan in 2017/2018. Key findings included:
● Making Ashbourne a safe and pleasant environment for pedestrians.
● Non-car movement will be promoted to limit the major problems of congestion and climate change and to benefit the health and well-being of the inhabitants.
● The plan promotes an increase in the number of safe street crossing points in the centre, and the placing of bollards along sections of pavements at risk.
● Protecting Ashbourne’s historical heritage from traffic-induced damage
● Making Ashbourne’s town centre safer for pedestrians is a key aim of the Levelling-up fund bid
The bid, if approved, will tackle all these issues, and more, that local residents have long identified as being an obstacle to improving our town centre.
The town team is also contacting businesses around the Market Place to get their views on proposals in the Levelling-up fund bid to significantly improve Market Place and Victoria Square.
Four design options have been prepared by the district council’s consultants, Lathams Architects, which are based on the majority of the existing parking being removed, the historic cobbles improved producing a market place with flexible uses.
These include:
● Restoring Ashbourne’s traditional street market
● Making the Market Place a food and drink destination with existing and new “popup” businesses occupying space currently dominated by cars
● Creating open air performance space which has worked well before in Ashbourne
Providing covered market and event space that will complement and highlight our medieval market place
Initial response from businesses consulted has been very positive and more work now needs to be done on detailed design including what car parking remains to support businesses and local residents.
While the Levelling-up fund bid is being prepared, work is being undertaken on installing new traffic management barriers along St John Street and Dig Street to separate physically pedestrians from traffic in the town centre, making the town centre much safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
This is the first stage implementation of the Ashbourne Strategic Plan which will further be enhanced if we secure Levelling-up funding.
This work has been commissioned by Ashbourne Town Team and will be implemented by Derbyshire County Council during the summer.
Precise arrangements and public notice of the works will be made once implementation dates have been confirmed.
Further work has also been undertaken on the very important Methodist Church project.
This exciting project will create a large performance space area and community hub.
It is also being redesigned to become a venue connecting with and maximising visitor
attractions at the Ashbourne end of the Tissington Tunnel.
The plan includes upgrading of the current hostel accommodation and a garden on the bank of the Henmore Brook.
Current thinking is that the size of the Ashbourne Levelling-up fund bid is around £12 million.
However, work being undertaken on the bid, and future regeneration projects to implement the Ashbourne Strategic Plan, is also taking place.
This is also very important to Ashbourne given the potential for future government and other organisational funding for projects such as providing an East-west green corridor along the Henmore River between the Waterside and the Ashbourne Recreation Area.
As the district council makes clear work underway is more than just the Levelling-up fund submission.
So, at last, Ashbourne has a coherent and practical programme of comprehensive regeneration to deliver the demands and aspirations of residents, businesses and community organisations which have been asked for over many years.
Ashbourne moves forward with confidence that our new strategic partnership between the district and county councils, community organisations and businesses will deliver the quality change that we all want in the town.
Get behind the Ashbourne Levelling-up fund bid.