Bid to attract people back into town

There are plans to restore 37 listed buildings in part of Mansfield

A multi-million pound project is being launched to transform a North Nottinghamshire town into a cultural destination.

Mansfield's medieval Old Town will be the focus of the project, which aims to smarten up the town's image.

The district council says the new plan includes boutiques, luxury flats and restaurants.

It aims to attract people to live and work in the town centre again.

Listed buildings

White Lion Yard, set within ancient man-made caves, has already undergone a makeover in the first stage of the £7m project.

Now there are plans to restore the 37 listed buildings in the Old Town.

Roughly half of the funding comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the rest coming from bodies including Mansfield District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and the East Midlands Development Agency.

The project is expected to last between three and five years.

When it is completed, the developers hope the area will be a cultural destination to rival Nottingham's Lace Market.