Nottingham has missed out on 拢57 million of central Government Levelling Up funding which would have helped three big regeneration schemes.
The city has been told it will not get 拢20 million towards the Broad Marsh scheme to transform the area around the former city centre shopping centre. Nor was it successful with a 拢20 million bid for Bulwell town centre which would have been used to create a new promenade with new public spaces alongside the River Leen, and improve the market place and a number of old buildings.
A third bid for 拢17 million for the Island Quarter, submitted on behalf of the area鈥檚 developer Conygar, was also unsuccessful. That bid focused on renovating three old warehouse buildings at the heart of the 36-acre site near to Nottingham Station.
It comes as the Government announced where 拢2.1 billion will be allocated from the overall 拢4.8 billion Levelling Up fund announced in 2020.
Some 拢155,600,000 will go to the West Midlands, 拢176,900,000 to the East Midlands and 拢354 million for the North West.
Nottingham East Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: 鈥淒espite the clear need, not one of our three levelling up bids was successful. Yet the Prime Minister鈥檚 own very wealthy constituency was awarded 拢90 million.
鈥淪o, when will the Government end this ridiculous charade of favouritism and truly level up places like Nottingham by restoring the billions in funding that Conservative governments have cut since 2010?鈥
Despite the knock-back. Nottingham City Council leader Councillor David Mellen said the regeneration of Nottingham would continue, working alongside partners to secure investment.
He said: 鈥淎ll three Nottingham bids were very strong and clearly aligned to what the Levelling Up Fund is meant to be about.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 a big disappointment that all of them have been turned down for Levelling Up funding, which Nottingham so clearly needs.
鈥淭here has been huge support for the exciting new vision for Broad Marsh we unveiled just over a year ago which was based on feedback received from the Big Conversation, the largest public engagement exercise we had ever undertaken.
鈥淲ork on the Green Heart, which was a key element of the vision and something many people wanted to see, will still get underway this year using national funding we have already secured.
鈥淲e will continue our public realm improvements in the area, which are also funded from a different Government pot, as well as completing the fit-out of the new Central Library later this year.
鈥淎nyone visiting the area today can see that a huge transformation has already taken place and with more to come 鈥 especially the Green Heart which I think is going to be a hugely exciting, popular and welcome addition to our city centre 鈥 there鈥檚 still a lot to be positive about.
鈥淭he Levelling Up bid was for work to retain and re-use the Frame of the old shopping centre which is just one aspect of a wider vision for the whole site. It is still an element we want to include and we will explore alternative public and private funding options so that the whole vision can be realised.
鈥淭he Bulwell project would have helped to transform the town centre while the Island Quarter bid would have brought three derelict but landmark buildings on the site back into use. This week we started work on redeveloping Bulwell bus station which will bring some improvement to the town but clearly there was much more we wanted to do to help rejuvenate the town centre.
鈥淐onygar still have exciting plans for the Island Quarter, with a new canalside bar and restaurant already open, work underway on new student accommodation and proposals for a hotel, private apartments, offices including a planning application for a new bioscience building and public spaces in the pipeline.鈥
