I visited UK market town set for £10m makeover – too little, too late | UK | News
A deserted UK town full of boarded-up shops will soon receive a massive £10 million makeover; But critics fear these last-ditch efforts are too little, too late. Run-down shops light up the streets of Long Eaton, located on the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire border.
The large town has fallen into disrepair, with a dark cloud covering the area with laughter and conversation giving way to an almost eerie silence. But ambitious projects aiming to give the city a “vibrant new look” are also on the way. A £10 million project to transform Long Eaton’s High Street will start next spring, marking a major step in the town’s £25 million regeneration.
The plan to revitalize Long Eaton’s High Street was previously planned in September this year. However, Erewash District Council now expects works to start in May next year and be completed by May 2027.
The mission will focus on ensuring the community gets the maximum benefit from the budget. The investment made in the street will enable the street to be pedestrianized with more benches and greenery.
The town will also see a new “central square”, new architectural features, more seating and features to celebrate the local furniture industry.
Although this sounds great, the locals seem pretty pessimistic; Many fear that the glory days of their once thriving town are long gone.
Live reporter wandering around Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire Sophie Fagone Buscimese He said: “I thought this all sounded quite positive, but as I parked my car and walked towards the High Street, my thoughts echoed those of shopkeepers and (a very small number of) shoppers: perhaps it is too little, too late.”
Residents believe adding a few benches and some greenery won’t shake the town out of its slumber.
A bored local told NottinghamshireLive: “It’s gone too far. “There’s no way to record it anymore.”
A concerned bar owner believes the benches will create more space for young people to hang out late at night, and his customers have also expressed concern about this.
Writing for NottinghamshireLive, Sophie said: “Everyone I spoke to told me they would happily swap some new shrubs and benches for lower business rates and rents, as well as other incentives such as farmers markets to bring people back to shopping in person.
“While visiting the few businesses open on Friday afternoon, shopkeepers had specific ideas about what the area really needed.”
The reporter argues that “getting rid of the blue bays and installing benches will not work” and that local people should have a greater say in where money is spent.
