North Nottinghamshire investment team Invest Ashfield & Mansfield brought the region’s top economic experts to Ashfield and Mansfield to examine how to accelerate job creation and economic recovery in the area.
The investment team for the two district councils, Invest Ashfield & Mansfield, led the region’s local economic partnership, D2N2, on a tour of strategic development sites, regeneration opportunities and leading businesses.
Ashfield and Mansfield council leaders, councillors and officers brought their economic strategy to life during the tour for D2N2 bosses and board members to discuss what more could be done to support the growth of locally thriving companies and to attract other top UK companies to the area.
The tour included the Rolls Royce development site in Hucknall, Sherwood Business Park, M1 access at junction 28, the A38 employment corridor, Sutton town centre’s Fox Street and Idlewells, the Mansfield Brewery site, Stockwell Gate North, the Lindhurst development, Summit Park, Penniment Farm, West Notts College and the Linney Group.
Mansfield regeneration portfolio holder Cllr Kate Allsop said: “Land values and property prices make it cost-effective to do business here. Companies like Linneys stay and grow because they can compete on price while drawing on a talented workforce. People want to stay because this is a stunning and affordable place that offers a great quality of life.
“More companies would benefit from our location: bringing jobs with them. We can accommodate their expansion at the Brewery site, Penniment Farm, Summit Park, Lindhurst, Sherwood Business Park, along the A38, at the Rolls Royce site and in our town centres.”
Ashfield DC leader Cllr Chris Baron said:
“The Rolls Royce Watnall Road development in Hucknall is an ideal base for other advanced engineering firms. Our workforce is skilled, flexible, willing to learn and incredibly hard working. Rolls Royce benefits from employees hungry to work – other employers will too.”
Ashfield regeneration portfolio holder Cllr Jim Aspinall said:
“Sutton town centre is a great community shopping area and as such has enjoyed one of the highest recession recovery rates in the UK. Our town centre development sites offer great potential to retailers and leisure operators looking to move in.”
D2N2 chief executive David Ralph said:
“We all want the same thing: thriving businesses which can create more jobs for local people. We have a capital projects fund to support businesses to stay in this area and to bring in more companies.
“We want to see companies occupying these strategic development and regeneration sites. If there’s a financial stumbling block to getting them on board, that’s where we can step in to help them over the final hurdle.
“D2N2 wants to see 55,000 more jobs across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire by 2023. Any funding we secure on behalf of the Invest Ashfield & Mansfield area will help businesses to create real jobs for the people here.”
