Blue Badge Parking to Change on High Street.
Long Eaton High Street Project.
Last Updated: 10/05/2024.
Blue badge holders who park on Long Eaton High Street are being asked who would still need to park on the High Street if additional disabled parking provision was made in nearby car parks.
The Long Eaton Town Deal Board proposed an upgrade of the pedestrian area on High Street in the March 2020 Town Investment Plan as part of the High Street project, which is being delivered by local Highways Authority, Derbyshire County Council. Those proposals are now in the detailed design phase.
Almost 200 blue badge holders who currently park on Long Eaton High Street were contacted throughout March to let them know that works to the High Street will be carried out in early 2025. They were asked where they would like additional alternative disabled parking to be provided to minimise disruption during this time. The majority of people who responded said that additional disabled spaces in Beaconsfield Street and Claye Street car parks would be the most useful.
The improved parking provision will be made available before the works start, with a view to making it permanent. If you are a Blue Badge holder who currently parks on High Street, please complete the High Street Public Engagement Form to let the Town Deal Board know if additional provision at Beaconsfield and Claye Street car parks would address your parking needs.
If you would prefer to respond to the form in writing please address your envelope to Town Deal, Long Eaton Town Hall, Derby Road, Long Eaton, NG10 1HU. Letters can be left at Long Eaton or Ilkeston Town Hall without paying postage.
The work to the High Street is expected to start next year.
High Street Latest.
Long Eaton High Street Project.
Last Updated: 25/03/2024.
Derbyshire County Council, as the local Highways Authority, has been appointed to deliver the Long Eaton Town Deal High Street project, which will see major improvements to the town centre.
The project will see the High Street and Tamworth Road revitalised to make a pedestrian friendly space. This will allow high-quality new paving, street furniture and planting to be introduced, matching the design standards of the Market Place and creating a much safer and more appealing environment for visitors to the town centre.
The project is one of five that is being made possible after Erewash Borough Council secured almost £25million of investment from the Government. The projects are being led by the Long Eaton Town Board.
A programme of engagement with the different users of the High Street, to help inform the design, will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Long Eaton on the up with £25m Town Deal.
Town Deal Updates.
Last updated: 22/11/2023.
HUGE improvements to Long Eaton after it clinched almost £25million of investment from the Government will soon see locals reaping the benefits – despite the National Audit Office warning that similar Town Deal projects across England are floundering.
The man heading up the massive revamp told of his optimism that the place where he was raised is about to be transformed back into what he described as “an absolutely fabulous town”.
Richard Ledger – a Cambridge graduate who studied physics with Stephen Hawking – said it was natural for townsfolk to want to see big changes fast. But strict Government requirements over the best use of public funds have taken significant time to satisfy.
Four years of planning are now close to fruition. Richard, who is the Long Eaton Town Board chairman said: “After an immense amount of work to get the project to its current stage we will see the results coming with increasing speed.”
The NAO warned in a new report that many local authorities were struggling to deliver Town Deal projects in time. Spiralling costs fuelled by inflation were blamed – together with contractors suffering from skills shortages.
Richard admitted there had been hiccups locally but said Erewash Borough Council was working hard to overcome them. Work to transform the former stable block next to Long Eaton Town Hall stalled when the major building firm that was hired went into administration. A new contractor will be appointed imminently to continue turning the building into a state-of-the art business hub.
A stunning new bridge across the Erewash Canal to link Broad Street to West Park is close to being commissioned. The park itself is getting new lighting at a cost of £245,000 – although work had to be paused due to flooding from Storm Babet. The town will also see a much-improved walking and cycling network. As part of this a second new bridge is planned for Britannia Road.
There will be a new West Park Waterfront development with space for food outlets where people can relax. Meanwhile, crunch negotiations with Derbyshire County Council to revitalise the High Street are entering their final phase.
On Derby Road there are plans for smart new housing and shops to replace the old cinema and the rest of Galaxy Row. Richard, 57, who is a former pupil at Grange Primary School, said:
“I was saddened to see the vibrancy of Long Eaton slowly ebbing away and this is a fantastic opportunity to turn things around.”
He is a successful local businessman and inventor who was keen to bring his decades of expertise to the Town Deal initiative. The entrepreneur founded a Draycott-based firm that makes machinery for the food processing industry.
As a child he had helped out in his dad’s engineering business, fixing machinery in local lace factories. Richard launched his firm Millitec in 2005 after a friend working in a food factory asked if he could build a machine to butter bread.
Richard sympathised with other local authorities who have battled to keep their Town Deal projects on track. He said: “We have not been immune in Erewash. But the team has pulled together so we can truly deliver for Long Eaton.”
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said in the wake of the NAO report: “We continue to work closely with local authorities to support their delivery of their vital projects.”
Revealed: Stunning new bridge for town.
Walking and Cycling Project.
Last updated: 28/12/2023.
This is the spectacular new canal bridge that is poised to link the centre of Long Eaton to the town’s award-winning West Park.
Architects unveiled the artist’s impression ahead of the unloved existing walkway being demolished as part of a huge waterfront project.
It is all thanks to £25million of investment which will transform Long Eaton. Erewash Borough Council helped to clinch the government money in a coveted Town Deal for the borough.
A formal planning application for the new landmark spanning the Erewash Canal at Broad Street has now been submitted to the authority. Part of it sweeps over private land – whose owners have swung behind the project to help boost the town.
The local businessman who heads the Long Eaton Town Deal Board paid tribute to them – and also praised input from the Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust.
Richard Ledger said: “The bridge and associated waterfront is a fabulous collaborative project for Long Eaton with the public and private sector working together to enable it to go forwards.
“Without the kind generosity of local people the project would not have been able to deliver the fabulous design that we now have.”
The existing bridge was built in 1913 and is close to the end of its lifespan. The height of it is so low that towpath walkers and cyclists have had to duck under it for more than 100 years.
One pensioner who welcomed the replacement told how he knew of somebody getting hurt.
Another local posted online: “This is WAY overdue. I knocked myself out once on the bridge as I walked under it and split my head open. It’s also very corroded and outdated. Finally some good news for Long Eaton residents.”
A woman who told how she had lived in the town for more than 20 years said of the design: “It looks good.” Long Eaton Town Deal Board chairman Richard said:
“The iconic new bridge should be something that the town can be really proud of. Together with the new waterfront area for West Park the canal will be transformed from being a barrier that splits the town in half to a real asset for Long Eaton.
“There will be launching for paddle boards and kayaks together with improved access for all, including cyclists. This should draw more people into the town and through to the park.
“This project, above all, delivers on the Government’s transformational Towns Fund – with local people having driven it from conception to the finished design. I for one can’t wait to see the work starting and the difference it will make for the people of the town.
New lighting for West Park.
Walking and Cycling Project.
Last updated: 11/10/2023.
A £245,000 mission to improve an Erewash park will get under way this autumn after the council awarded a contract for new lighting.
The improvement to Long Eaton’s West Park will see the installation of 42 lampposts. This will mean an extra 1,215 metres of pathways are illuminated.
The investment is part of Long Eaton’s £24.8million Town Deal – which is money the council secured from the government for regeneration in the town. The West Park project aims to boost walking, running and cycling – even though the lights themselves are low energy.
Two gateways are among previously unlit sections of the park that will be illuminated. The new lighting will complete a figure of eight pathway through the park. Power will also be installed at the bandstand to encourage more use of it.
Work is expected to start in November after the contract was awarded to E.ON Lighting and Grid Energy Infrastructure Services. Richard Ledger, chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal board, said:
“This is all brilliant news – in more ways than one. West Park is a much-loved amenity, and this project means local people can make even more use of it.”
Councillor Alex Breene, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said:
“The council is determined to ensure the people of Long Eaton all benefit from the investment that comes with the Town Deal – which is money that Erewash fought extremely hard for.”
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