Long Eaton’s £10million revamp to start in June
Long Eaton High Street Project.
Last updated 29/04/2026.
A huge £10million project to transform the centre of Long Eaton is poised to get underway within weeks, Erewash council has announced.
The massive facelift to turn the High Street into a vibrant destination for shopping and leisure has been given a June starting date.
It comes a quarter of a century after the borough’s other main town of Ilkeston underwent a similarly spectacular revamp – and is being funded by Government regeneration money as part of the £25million Long Eaton Town Deal.
The work, which also encompasses Tamworth Road, is set to be completed by spring next year.
The town’s market will move back to its historic home – Long Eaton Market Place – but contractors will be working closely with shops and businesses so they can open as usual.
A greener and more welcoming town centre with smart new paving and places for people to relax is being promised. Designs for the makeover include elements that celebrate Long Eaton’s proud history, including its furniture industry.
Acclaimed artist Dame Laura Knight – who was born in the town – will have a trail dedicated to her. She died in 1970 at the age of 92 after becoming the first female painter to be elected to the Royal Academy since it was found in 1769.
Cllr Curtis Howard, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “It has been a long process to get to this point but we have been determined to get things absolutely right for the people of Long Eaton.
“It has meant engaging with retailers, market traders, taxi drivers and blue badge parking users. Their feedback has helped to inform the final design, which will be something local people can be truly proud of.”
Residents are being advised:
- Blue badge access and parking on the High Street will be suspended while work takes place.
- New blue badge parking has been provided in the Beaconsfield car park and the one in Claye Street.
- Tamworth Road will remain open during the works – although lanes will be narrowed or made one-way.
Richard Ledger, the local businessman who is chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, said: “We wish to thank local people in advance for their patience as this immense project comes to fruition – and urge them to support all the shops and business that will continue to operate while the work is going on.”
Walking and Cycling Project.
Last updated: 04/03/2026.
The construction of a spectacular curved footbridge that will sweep over the Erewash Canal takes a major step forward next week – as engineers begin dismantling the old crossing that it will replace.
The existing metal bridge has stood for more than a century despite being built so low that towpath users in Long Eaton risked banging their heads on it.
It was nearing the end of its lifespan – and crews started disassembling it on Monday, 2 March.
The dramatic bridge that will take its place at Broad Street is poised to become a new local landmark. It will be accompanied by the building of a new waterfront giving access to the canal – and which is designed to be a public space where events can be held.
The crossing is one of two new canal bridges that will improve connectivity for residents thanks to the £25million Long Eaton Town Deal – which is Government regeneration funding that Erewash Borough Council helped to clinch.
The other footbridge is at Britannia Mills, where new affordable homes are being built. It is set to be craned into place within the next few weeks, according to a report to the Long Eaton Town Deal Board. The Canal & River Trust has been involved in preparations – with piling works said to be “progressing well” despite the recent wet weather.
Local businessman Richard Ledger, who chairs the board, said: “Crane activities to lift the bridge into position are scheduled for around Friday 13 March. These are truly exciting times for Long Eaton as a host of Town Deal projects start coming to fruition – with others well on track to be delivered in the timeframes that have been agreed with the Government.”
The transformation of a what used to be a complex of stables next to the town hall is among completed projects. The buildings have been converted into a swish new business centre – with a string of firms moving in after the Mayor was officially handed the keys in January.
Prospective tenants can find out more about studio spaces for rent here: Serviced STUDIO SPACES to let in The Old Stables Business Centre, Cranmer Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Serviced office units are here: Serviced OFFICES to let in The Old Stables Business Centre, Cranmer Street, Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
In West Park the Town Deal has funded the installation of new lighting – along with the creation of a new events field.
Elsewhere in the town, work has started on building a new commercial centre following the demolition of Derby Road’s derelict Galaxy cinema. Affordable housing is part of the project.
Forth Bridge firm builds new crossing over canal
Walking and Cycling Project.
Last updated: 14/01/2026.
A firm that makes bridges and whose experts help to maintain one of the UK’s most iconic crossings has begun factory construction of a new link that will span the Erewash Canal – as part of Long Eaton’s £25million Town Deal.
The company – Wigan-based Beaver Bridges – is responsible for inspecting the suspension cables of Scotland’s famous Forth Road Bridge.
It has started work on fabricating the footbridge and cycleway that is due to be craned into place in Long Eaton in the summer.
The Britannia Mills Bridge near Canal Street is being delivered by local based firm Stepnell Limited and will improve connectivity in the town – halving the mile-long distance between canal crossings north of the town centre. The location for it is close to where 109 new affordable homes are nearing completion on the site of an old lace-making complex.
The metal crossing is one of two across the canal that are being funded by Government investment that the council helped to secure for the town. The other bridge – a dramatic curved structure – will replace the existing Broad Street footway, which is nearing the end of its lifespan. Access to the towpath will be improved, plus there will be a new waterfront leisure space.
A host of projects funded by the regeneration money include a £10million revamp of the town centre – which will also begin this year. Cllr Curtis Howard, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said:
“The council has been to visit the Wigan bridge factory at Ince-in-Makerfield and is pleased to report that great progress is being made. Long Eaton’s residents will soon have not one but two new crossings over the canal – and it will be quite a sight when each of these fantastic bridges is craned into place.”
Stable Block.
Last updated: 22/01/2026.
A ceremony at what used to be a complex of disused stables will see Erewash Borough Council’s Mayor formally handed the keys to a major new asset for the borough – a swish business hub where firms can set up home and create jobs.
The historic buildings right next to Long Eaton Town Hall have undergone a huge revamp to give them a new lease of life as high-spec offices and studios. They are already being advertised on Rightmove ahead of the official opening on Friday 23 January.
The former stables are Grade II* listed like the town hall itself – which was built in 1778 as a private residence for a gentleman farmer called Henry Howitt. They were more recently used as a vehicle workshop, then later for storage.
Their £2.5million transformation is thanks to the Town Deal that Erewash Borough Council secured for Long Eaton. It has led to a total of £25million pouring into the town in the form of Government regeneration funding. The council will be handed the keys to the Old Stables Business Centre by the Long Eaton Town Deal Board – with the Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Harry Atkinson accepting them on behalf of the authority.
Prospective tenants are being invited to attend an open day a week later on Friday 30 January from 1pm to 3pm.
A whole new look for the centre of Long Eaton is among a string of other projects that the Town Deal is funding. Work on upgrading the High Street at a cost of £10million will begin this year. The town will also get two new bridges spanning the Erewash Canal. Meanwhile Derby Road’s derelict Galaxy cinema has been demolished to make way for a new commercial centre that will include affordable homes.
Local businessman Richard Ledger, who chairs the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, said he was thrilled that townsfolk were beginning to see results after six years of intense planning work behind the scenes to make best use of the £25million boost.
An entire new waterfront, including an events space, will be constructed alongside the new footbridge that will be built at Broad Street. Richard told the BBC: “You look at what's happened in Birmingham, in London, for canalside environments – it was time we did something like that in Long Eaton. If we get more people who can come down here and actually appreciate it and experience it, it's got to be a good thing,"
Councillor Curtis Howard, who is Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning at Erewash Borough Council, said of transforming the former stables: “There is real demand for modern office space in Long Eaton catering to small, local, and start-up businesses. This project creates jobs and brings new people into the town centre every single day. Perhaps they’ll go out and buy their lunch, maybe they’ll all go for drinks after work – all fuelling our local economy.”
Find out more about the new business hub on Rightmove.
New Bridge is Big Deal
Walking and Cycling Project.
Last updated: 13/01/2026.
Work has started to build a bridge over the Erewash Canal in Long Eaton which will be a vital link for residents of the town.
The Britannia Mills bridge, which will be near Bennett Street, is one of the Government funded Long Eaton Town Deal projects.
It will link, via a traffic free route, the canal towpath to the Canal Street district of the town.
Construction work is being carried out by Stepnell, the same company who are replacing the dilapidated Broad Street bridge at West Park. It is expected to be complete in the summer.
Richard Ledger, chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, says:
“It is great to see work on another town deal project getting underway. The new bridge at this location will provide a link for residents in the Canal Street district who will be able to access the canal towpath via the new bridge. A lot of hard work has gone into getting these projects off the ground and I look forward to seeing more of them completed so that the community of Long Eaton can reap the benefits.”
The Long Eaton Town Deal saw the council secure almost £25 million of funding from the government in 2020 to make vital improvements to the town.
Other projects include the conversion of a former stable block into a modern office space behind the town hall, a new commercial and residential development at the site of the former Galaxy Row cinema on Derby Road, and improvements to the High Street.
New lighting and an events field were new additions to West Park, where a new replacement bridge is being built that links the park to Broad Street.
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