Mansfield District Council led discussions at a major international conference in London today showcasing local government place shaping initiatives.
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams was among the speakers at the LGC (Local Government Chronicle) Future Places event which brought together national and international construction specialists, local authorities and developers to discuss issues and opportunities.
He represented the council as part of a panel looking at "Creating inspiring places; building strong communities", and, with Mansfield’s CEO, Adam Hill, led a round-table discussion entitled "Building community consent to deliver economic and environmental change".
Also taking part were three of the council's partners: Nottingham Trent University, Switch Up, which runs a community hub in Mansfield and helps young people outside mainstream education achieve their potential, and Morgan Sindall, a construction company which is working with the council to retro-fit insulation at the Switch Up base, as a model of good practice.
Mayor Andy said: "We were approached and asked if we would lead the sessions as we are involved in a number of interesting projects. We are particularly keen to raise the profile of the work we are doing around our green agenda, which is setting standards and leading the way nationally.
"These include a project to retro-fit insulation to some or our council homes and now a community hub, our fantastic Passivhaus standard council houses, greening up our town centre, and supporting Severn Trent in a major project to deliver green solutions to reduce flood risks in the district.
"All these schemes also feed into the council's wider place shaping, regeneration and aspiration agendas to improve the environment in Mansfield, offer more opportunities for people here to improve or update their skills and improve their quality of life.
“Strategic place management is now seen as a key activity for local government which, nationally, needs imaginative solutions to urban challenges such as air quality and congestion. We are seen as among those authorities leading the way in this field.
"In Mansfield we need economic growth and regeneration but we also have to achieve that in a sustainable way and in line with our net zero targets to tackle the challenge of climate change.
"We aim to put Mansfield on the map as a place in which to invest, and for companies that have an interest in achieving their own net zero targets and in possibly retro fitting insulation to their own buildings, too.
"We are also embracing Smart technology to help us develop programmes that underpin the concept of 'Smart Green Mansfield'.
"Through this approach we will also raise the profile of what we are doing and why Mansfield is a great place in which to live, work and invest."
More details about the conference can be found at on the conference website (link opens in new window). More details about the council's strategic priorities can be found on the council website(link opens in new window).