The £15 million transformation of Ashbourne town centre will start in 2023 after government approved a Levelling Up Fund bid.
‘Ashbourne Reborn’, led by Derbyshire Dales District Council, was developed through close working with local partners who brought forward project ideas, identified opportunities and raised match-funding for the bid.
The partners include Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council, AshCom, Ashbourne Methodist Church and Derbyshire County Council.
News that the bid – submitted to government at the end of July – has been approved means partners can develop more detailed plans for the two-year development project focused on three distinct project areas.
The first is a series of transformed public spaces including Market Place, Victoria Square, Millennium Square and Shrovetide Walk, while the second project focuses on a new community hub, transforming the Methodist Church into a multi-purpose community building. The hub will provide a wide range of event and meeting spaces, a performance venue and flexible work areas with high quality digital provision.
New traffic management plans will transform the pedestrian experience in Ashbourne by widening footways and providing new and improved crossings as part of the third project.
District Council leader Councillor Garry Purdy said: “This is fantastic news and we can all look forward to transformed spaces in which events and activities can take place, bringing a much needed vibrancy – and indeed footfall – back to the town.
“This will be the biggest capital grant project ever undertaken by this council and I want to thank all partners for getting Ashbourne Reborn to this exciting stage where we can start to restore pride of place and create a new safe and vibrant heart of the town for the benefit of local people and visitors.
“There is much work to do, not least through the planning process, even before the first brick is laid and I want to stress this project will remain a partnership – that is absolutely vital.”
The project will get underway with the formation of a programme board to be chaired by District Council Chief Executive Paul Wilson, and the appointment of a programme manager.
A key part of the project is to celebrate the town’s heritage. A wide variety of future events will bring new life to the centre of Ashbourne, creating an environment where businesses will want to locate and invest, and residents and visitors spend time whilst supporting the local economy.
There will be some necessary disruption to town centre traders during the transformation work, but Anne Wright, chair of Ashbourne Town Team, said: “We are delighted that Ashbourne has been awarded Levelling Up funding which will enable substantial improvements in our town centre and start to deliver on the strategic plan we identified at the start of this process.
“We believe the public realm, traffic management and pedestrian projects, which are at the heart of the bid, will be transformational for the town. The success of this initiative is absolutely vital to kickstart the local economy and revive a positive experience in the town centre for residents and visitors.”
Connections between town centre spaces will be improved and a comprehensive set of upgrades along Compton, Dig Street and St John Street will create a far better pedestrian experience, reducing the impact of vehicles and improving safety.
The package will ensure Ashbourne takes its rightful place within the regional visitor economy, providing an attractive environment that draws in residents, visitors and businesses and re-establishes its identity as a flourishing market town.
Ashbourne Methodist Church will become a community hub, offering a fresh, modern range of accommodation options for groups and families and an outdoor riverside garden event space will also link to a range of sustainable transport options to improve connectivity, including charging for e-bikes and scooters and connections to the Tissington Trail.
The bid has been supported by the District Council’s expert consultant Michael Rich, Bentley Project Management, and Lathams Architects.
Since the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) bid was submitted in July, work has continued by the District Council, its consultants and partners, in anticipation of positive news.
Activity has included the establishment of shadow LUF governance arrangements, drafting role specifications for project staff, agreeing Heads of Terms for funding contracts, agreeing a communications strategy, reviewing project risk registers, and specifying detailed site survey requirements. As ‘Accountable Body’ for LUF funding, the District Council has already resolved to accept grant funds.
The full Ashbourne Reborn bid amount – £13.3 million – has been granted by the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The remainder of the £15 million project cost is made up from matched funding.
