Thousands of new jobs could be created and tens of millions of pounds could be poured into Nottingham if an ambitious bid for Government funding is a success.
The proposal could be worth £426 million in total and will be spent across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire on infrastructure and business growth.
D2N2, a partnership of businesses, councils and education leaders, has put the bid together for a slice of the Local Growth Fund from Westminster.
If successful the plan would get £107m and then lever in an additional £318 million worth of private and public sector investment.
This would create around £426million to support 23 projects across the region which D2N2 leaders say are ‘vital’ to growth in the local economy.
D2N2 chairman Peter Richardson said: “This has the power to create an estimated 12,910 new jobs. D2N2 has an excellent track record for spending wisely and well, and I am confident that Government will give serious consideration to our plans.”
Among the projects in the bid is a new digital and creative skills training facility for Nottingham city centre, on the site of Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies on Lower Parliament Street.
Confetti, which was recently became part of Nottingham Trent University, wants to build a centre which will become the envy of Britain’s growing digital sector.
Craig Chettle, chief executive of Confetti Media Group, said: “It means a state of the art, digital media hub right in the heart of Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, providing education and training for the next generation of digital media entrepreneurs – in games and app development and artists and technicians for the UK’s burgeoning visual effects industry.
“Remember some of the top VFX artists on Oscar winning film Gravity, came from Nottingham – so maybe very soon, the talent from Nottingham will be creating the next Angry Birds, Pokemon Go or a new CGI’d Robin Hood.”
Other planned developments which are part of the bid include;
- Nottingham Castle – £24 million for better access and facilities to create a major East Midlands Tourist attraction
- Regeneration for the Southern area of Nottingham around the station – £25.3 million
- A Nottingham Trent University Convergent Science Technology Centre – £18 million
- Brackenhurst Skills Centre, a new centre for food, agriculture and horticulture skills training at Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst campus, Southwell – £5.4 million
A decision on the bid is expected in November when new chancellor Philip Hammond delivers his first Autumn Statement.
