Memorial garden work to start at town's market place

Work to create memorial gardens in a Derbyshire town centre as part of a proposed wider revamp is set to start.

The first phase of the revamp of Shirebrook's Market Place will begin on Monday, Bolsover District Council said.

The work will "complement" the town's mining memorial, which was unveiled in May 2023.

It will also involve resurfacing and tree works, with the first phase set to be completed by September.

The council hopes the work will make the area a "pleasant spot" for workers and shoppers, and that it will "provide a contemplative space for people visiting the memorial".

Council leader Steve Fritchley said: "High streets are changing, and we must adapt to make sure that what is in our town centres represents what people need and expect.

"The plans we have will significantly improve the market place, make better use of the space and provide a central area that people will want to visit, where they can relax and have a cuppa or a bite to eat and watch the world go by, whilst also providing more footfall for our businesses."

Beyond this phase, the council says it has secured additional funding for the wider "Shirebrook Market Place: REimagined project", with work under way to "establish how this funding can be used to deliver the rest of the public realm improvements".

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