Locals make most of newly lit-up park.

Walking and Cycling Project.

Last updated: 31/07/2024.

Dusk falls on a summer’s day – in magical images that capture how a much-loved Erewash park has been transformed after dark by new lighting.

A woman is seen taking her dog for a twilight walk – while other locals ride bicycles along freshly-illuminated paths.

The scenes look to be of a rural idyll – but actually show an urban one following a £245,000 project by Erewash Borough Council.

A total of 42 new lampposts were installed in Long Eaton’s West Park thanks to £25million of “Town Deal” investment that the authority helped to clinch from the government.

It means an extra 1,215 metres of pathways have been lit up so residents can go walking, running and cycling after dark.

The new low-energy lighting completes a figure of eight pathway through the park – with two previously unlit gateways also now illuminated.

Flooding in the park after the borough’s unprecedented winter storms led to the project being delayed. Richard Ledger, chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, hailed its completion as “brilliant news in every way”.

Cllr Curtis Howard, who is Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said:

       “The new lights in West Park are just one example of how the council is cracking on with using the £25million of Town Deal investment to boost Long Eaton and its residents. Other projects are also taking shape – with work well underway on a new small business hub. Also in the pipeline is a major upgrade of the town centre.”

Iconic new bridge gets Council OK.

Walking and Cycling Project.

Last updated: 08/07/2024.

A spectacular new bridge that is poised to become an Erewash landmark has been given the formal go-ahead by the borough council.

The sweeping curve of steel – featuring a stunning suspension arch – will help to transform one of the area’s waterfronts.

The iconic crossing for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users will span the Erewash Canal – linking the centre of Long Eaton to the town’s much-loved West Park.

It is being funded by government levelling-up money and will replace a bridge that towpath users currently risk banging their heads on because it was built so low.

The old Broad Street bridge dates back to 1913. It will be demolished after Erewash’s planning committee gave official permission for its replacement at a Long Eaton Town Hall meeting on Wednesday 26 June.

Councillors heard the existing crossing is “showing its age”. A report warned: “Structural assessments suggest a lifespan of only approximately a further ten years.”

The plan also includes a waterside terrace featuring tiered seating for 100 people overlooking the canal. Pontoons on the waterfront will allow kayaks and other small craft to launched.

Refreshment space has been set aside for community events, theatre performances and cinema screenings.

Well-lit pathways will deter anti-social behaviour – while the new bridge has been designed to be graffiti-resistant.

The bridge’s balustrade will reference Long Eaton’s lacemaking industry by incorporating a wedding pattern motif.

Construction of the new bridge and waterfront is set to be completed by early 2026 after Long Eaton was awarded almost £25million of central government funding in what is known as a “Town Deal”. The grant for regeneration projects will also see the High Street transformed.

Electric field! Boost for outdoor events.

West Park Leisure Hub Project.

Last updated: 25/07/2024.

A showcase venue for open-air concerts and other outdoor events in Erewash will open this autumn – as a council project to build it gets underway.

Construction crews are poised to start work within days at West Park in Long Eaton.

The park already boasts an “events field” which is used for carnivals and fetes – and the project will see it get a massive revamp.

Power hook-ups are to be installed along with new lighting. Water pipes will also be laid – while improvements are being made to the car park.

The aim is to encourage more community use of the two-hectare site, which is equivalent to five acres in size.

The work is expected to take three months. It is being funded by the government as part of the £25million “Town Deal” that the borough council helped secure for Long Eaton.

The investment has already seen West Park get new lighting, including around its perimeter walkway – where a new path will link to the events field.

Derbyshire contractor PM Harris Ltd is undertaking the latest work – which is scheduled to see the events field reopen in October. Erewash councillor Curtis Howard, who is Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said:

“These enhancements at West Park will support the existing community events held there and help to encourage new ones, adding to the facilities and services available to local residents.”

To find out more about hiring the events field – or one of the several others available from the council – head to Book Your Event (erewash.gov.uk)

Cinema purchase speeds town revamp.

Galaxy Row Project.

Last updated: 24/05/2024.

A quest to rid an Erewash town of a major eyesore has taken a giant leap forward – with an announcement by the borough council that it has bought Long Eaton’s derelict Galaxy cinema.

The news – which follows painstaking negotiations – avoids a long drawn-out compulsory purchase as the authority drives forward levelling-up investment of £25million in the town.

The council revealed it has also acquired the former Stage One nightclub – clearing the way for a wholesale regeneration of what is known as Galaxy Row.

Both buildings are poised to be bulldozed as part of Long Eaton’s “Town Deal” – which is cash that Erewash Borough Council helped secure from the government.

The demolitions will see smart new homes and commercial units built on the prominent Derby Road site. The plan is for three business premises plus 16 flats and four townhouses. There will be 28 parking spaces, which will be accessed from Oxford Street at the rear of the development. The council is currently actively seeking a development partner for the scheme. The decrepit cinema has blighted Long Eaton since closing more than a decade ago. Planners said: “No proposals for re-use have come forward in ten years. It does not lend itself to a conversion to an alternative use.

“Given the apparent lack of developer interest and limitations of the former cinema for its reuse and the poor current appearance of the building, the loss of the building is considered acceptable.”

A massive £10million refurbishment of the High Street is looming. Richard Ledger, who is chairman of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, welcomed the purchase of the cinema and nightclub. The local businessman, who studied physics with Stephen Hawking at Cambridge, said:

“Long Eaton will be reinvigorated under the Town Deal – becoming an increasingly vibrant place to live and work. I would like to thank not only the council but also the people of Long Eaton who along with local businesses have been backing the campaign to unleash the town’s potential.”

Erewash councillor Curtis Howard, who is Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said of the authority’s acquisitions:

“This is a vital step toward finally getting spades in the ground on one of our most important levelling-up projects. Once completed, the new Galaxy Row development will provide new and modern commercial space for local businesses, and much needed, high-quality new homes.

“With this and proposals for the £10million High Street upgrade now well underway, we are ambitious for the future of Long Eaton town centre. This proves it.”