Long Eaton High Street Project.
Last updated 19/09/2025.
A £10MILLION project to transform Long Eaton's High Street is set to begin next spring, marking a significant step in the town's £25million regeneration.
The mission will deliver a flagship scheme to give the town centre a vibrant new look – with a focus on seeing the community get maximum benefit from the budget.
The Long Eaton Town Deal Board, which is overseeing the regeneration funding, has been conducting a comprehensive review of the design to allow for the impact of inflation on the cost of materials and to prioritise the use of British sourced products.
This detailed planning phase aims to secure the best possible outcome for residents and visitors, according to Richard Ledger, a local businessman who chairs the board.
He said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime boost for Long Eaton, and we are determined to get things absolutely right. With such a huge investment, our priority is to give the people of the town something they can be truly proud of by delivering a transformation that stands the test of time.”
Work is expected to start in May 2026. It is forecast to take a year before completion in May 2027.
Erewash Borough Council helped to secure the investment and has been working closely with the Government's new Local Regeneration Fund, formerly the Towns Fund. The £25million of total funding is providing other boosts to the town, including enhanced connectivity with two new bridges. Contracts to build a showcase curved crossing that will sweep over the canal at Broad Street and a second footbridge at Britannia Mills are set to be announced within weeks.
This follows the successful completion of two other projects – new lighting in West Park and the construction of an events field there. Work to demolish the town’s derelict Galaxy cinema is also complete, clearing the way for a development of new homes and business units.
A seventh project that is also nearing completion is the transformation of a historic stable block next to Long Eaton Town Hall. This building is being turned into a new business hub with a mix of offices, meeting spaces and workshops, and is on track to welcome its first occupants by the New Year.
All Long Eaton Town Deal projects are on course to be delivered well ahead of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s current programme timetable.
Cinema hit! Mayor wields sledgehammer on eyesore
Galaxy Row Project.
Last updated: 28/05/2025.
EREWASH’S new mayor Harry Atkinson kicked off the demolition of a notorious eyesore in the borough – by grabbing a sledgehammer himself as crews set to work on the derelict cinema.
He was joined by a local business leader who also had a bash before heavy machinery began levelling the old Galaxy picture house.
The BBC’s East Midlands Today filmed 25-year-old Harry wielding the sledgehammer in Long Eaton for a news item on him becoming Erewash’s youngest ever mayor. He said as he proudly wore his chain of office: “Great things are happening in our borough and this is just one of them.”
The cinema on Derby Road closed more than a decade ago and has been a crumbling blight on the town ever since – with locals keen to see the back of it. The council moved to compulsorily purchase the movie theatre and a disused nightclub next door after the Government agreed to inject £25million of regeneration cash into Long Eaton. The properties were eventually acquired by negotiation.
Demolition is expected to take four months and will be carefully managed to minimise disruption to locals. Three commercial premises will be built as part of a showcase new development of 16 apartments for affordable rent. There will also be four “shared ownership” townhouses.
Access to 28 parking spaces will be from Oxford Street at the rear of the site.
Erewash’s leader James Dawson, his deputy Becca Everett and Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning Cllr Curtis Howard were part of a council delegation as demolition got underway. They were joined by representatives from developer MyPad and affordable housing association Tuntum.
The businessman who joined the Mayor in swinging a sledgehammer was Richard Ledger, chairman of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board – who hailed the “positive impact” of redeveloping the site.
Council leader James said: “This is truly a great day. The regeneration of Galaxy Row will see it become a vibrant community of mixed-tenure homes – plus businesses.”
TunTum chief executive Charmaine Simei said: “This exciting regeneration project will transform the long-derelict site – delivering 16 high-quality flats for social rent and four family homes for shared ownership.
“The scheme demonstrates our commitment to building affordable homes, revitalising local areas and supporting mixed, sustainable communities.”
Tom Spink, director of MyPad, said: “This development represents exactly the kind of impactful, community-led regeneration we’re passionate about.
“In addition to providing much-needed high-quality, affordable homes, the scheme will support the creation of full and permanent job opportunities and deliver highly energy-efficient properties that contribute to long-term sustainability. We are proud to be playing a key role in enhancing the fabric of Long Eaton and helping to shape a thriving future for the town.”
The cinema originally opened as a theatre in 1907. The last film to be screened there is thought to have been the 2012 Liam Neeson fantasy epic Wrath of the Titans.
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Chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal, Richard Ledger and Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Harry Atkinson can be seen smashing a wall with sledgehammers at an event held on-site, last week (video on Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/reel/1034059931598691?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V.
This event was also covered by the BBC: Demolition begins at town's historic cinema - BBC News.
Galaxy Row Project.
Last updated: 01/10/2025.
The demolition of a major eyesore in one of Erewash’s towns has been completed by the borough council – with drone footage showing how the derelict cinema is no more.
A development of smart affordable homes is to be built where Long Eaton’s Galaxy picture house used to stand. There will also be three commercial units that could potentially be shops.
The clearing of the prime site on Derby Road means survey work is now taking place ready for foundations to go in.
The boost is one of a string of flagship projects launched thanks to £25million of Government money that is pouring into Long Eaton after the council helped to clinch a share of what used to be known as the Towns Fund. It has now been renamed the Local Regeneration Fund.
The investment will also see the High Street transformed at a cost of £10million. Work is set to start next spring.
Local businessman Richard Ledger, who chairs the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, told how the cinema on what is called Galaxy Row had been a crumbling blight on the streetscape since it closed more than a decade ago.
He said: “After considerable effort to secure the property and a disused nightclub next door so they could be demolished the scene is now set to create a vibrant new hub of homes and businesses on the site. We even managed to reclaim some half a million bricks.”
The land will become home to 16 flats and four townhouses thanks to a council partnership with affordable housing developer MyPad. Drone footage of the newly cleared site can be viewed here: Drone footage of levelled site (Facebook)
It follows four months of painstaking demolition work that avoided disruption on Derby Road.
Drone shots of cinema site as bricks reclaimed
Galaxy Row Project.
Last updated: 22/07/2025.
These photos reveal how the former Galaxy Row cinema in Long Eaton looks now that demolition work is underway, with around 250,000 bricks set to be reclaimed for future construction projects.
Redevelopment work started at the Derby Road site in May, with Total Reclaims Demolition now carefully dismantling the former buildings.
The site will see new homes and commercial units built, including three business premises, plus 16 flats and four townhouses.
It is one of the Long Eaton Town Deal projects which will see £25 million of Government funding invested in the town through various projects, some of which have been completed.
Richard Ledger, chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, said: “I’m sure everyone in Long Eaton will be as delighted as I am to see these drone pictures of the progress being made at the Galaxy Row site. It’s also great to know that the bricks will be reclaimed and used for other buildings.”
Tom Spink MRICS, Commercial Director at developer MyPad, said: “The reclaimed bricks will be salvaged, cleaned, and reused where possible, either on future construction projects or via specialist reclamation channels.
This approach ensures that materials are diverted from landfill and repurposed in a sustainable way, contributing to the circular economy.
“Any bricks that are found to be damaged or unsuitable for reuse will be crushed and recycled as construction aggregate, helping to minimise waste and reduce the environmental impact of the works.”
The bricks have not yet been allocated to a specific building project, but any reuse will follow established practices for responsibly sourced reclaimed materials.
Councillor Curtis Howard, Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “I am thrilled to see how far this project has come and it is even more of a bonus that the historic cinema’s legacy will live on by its bricks being used for future builds.”
Heyday for new firms as stables become offices
Stable Block.
Last updated: 20/05/2025.
A showcase Erewash council project to turn a complex of historic stables into a smart new hub for businesses is almost complete – with firms already able to check out the office and studio spaces on Rightmove.
The new lease of life for the building is being hailed as a major boost for Long Eaton – and is thanks to £25million of regeneration investment that is pouring into the town.
The money – which the authority helped to secure from the Government – is funding a host of projects including a massive revamp of the High Street, which is poised to start soon.
Marketing of up to 14 offices and studios – ranging in size from 280 to 700sq ft – has begun ahead of The Stables opening for business later this summer. Completion is scheduled for August.
The spaces blend old and new – with centuries-old oak beams preserved. The council has already had inquiries from potential tenants.
Richard Ledger, chairman of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, said: “This new centre for small businesses is going to be a superb asset to Long Eaton and the whole of Erewash. Firms moving in will be delighted – and we are grateful to our contractor Trident for all their hard work.”
The Rightmove listing describes the refurbishment as “a dynamic mix of modern office spaces and well-equipped meeting rooms, complemented by bright, airy communal areas designed for collaboration and comfort.”
It continues: “The business centre also features free on-site parking and a beautifully landscaped courtyard, creating an inviting environment for tenants while supporting local wildlife and contributing to climate resilience.”
The listing can be found here: Serviced office to lease in The Stables, Cranmer Street, Nottinghamshire, NG10
The stable block is next to Long Eaton Town Hall, which is a Grade II* listed building that dates back to 1778 when it was a grand residence for gentleman farmer John Howitt.
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