Work to regenerate town centre set to begin

Work to regenerate part of Hucknall in a bid to improve safety will start next week.

Ashfield District Council confirmed work to modernise Central Walk would start from 20 April with the removal of the canopy over the route.

Plans to address the "visible deterioration" of Central Walk and Chapel Street were approved by Ashfield District Council's planning committee in December. The proposals included replacing the "dated" arcade canopy, upgrades to shop fronts and public art installations.

However, the authority said planned improvements for Chapel Street were currently paused while it worked with partners to finalise details.

The council said work to remove the canopy would take place at night to minimise disruption to businesses and shoppers who use Central Walk.

It added that pigeon nests had been humanely removed and further nesting discouraged.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The refresh aims to improve feelings of safety and reduce anti-social behaviour, promote Hucknall's history through art, and create a welcoming, accessible town centre to encourage more visitors, in turn supporting local businesses."

The project will cost £600,000 and is set to be funded by money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the council previously said.

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