Council funds ‘fabulous’ umbrella installation in Derbyshire town as part of high street revitalisation plans

A council has installed umbrellas above a street in their town centre as part of plans to revitalise the area after the pandemic.
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The umbrellas - a project undertaken by Alfreton Town Council - appeared last week on Institute Lane in the town centre.

The council spent part of a £30,000 pot of funding on the display, which was distributed to local authorities to help them encourage people back into town centres after Covid.

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Cllr David Taylor, in charge of regeneration for Alfreton Town Council, said that residents had responded positively to the installation, which would help boost people’s pride in Alfreton.

Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.
Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.

“Before and during Covid, we had already looked into a regeneration plan to look at ways to revitalise the town centre. We got £30,000 from Amber Valley Borough Council as part of the Welcome Back Fund, and we used part of that to improve our floral displays- the umbrellas are another part of that.

“They were done by a company called DECX, who are based in Alfreton, and do seasonal decorations and displays all over the country. This fits in with our regeneration plan as we want to support local businesses.

“They’ve had an amazing response. If you spend 10 minutes watching people’s reactions, you’ll see it makes them smile. There’s old ladies singing and dancing, young kids counting them and pointing out the different colours.

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“It’s about getting people to be more proud of the community they live in.”

People in Alfreton have responded well to the efforts to improve the town centre.People in Alfreton have responded well to the efforts to improve the town centre.
People in Alfreton have responded well to the efforts to improve the town centre.

The umbrellas were praised by many in the Alfreton and Surrounding Areas Community and Crime Facebook group. Joely Smith said: “How lovely…reminds me of when I was younger and they had a carnival day…would love something like that round here! Really brings the community together.”

Angela Johnstone also reacted positively to the installation, and said: “A fabulous sight- well done Alfreton Town Council!”

Alfreton Town Council has a range of plans to make use of the rest of the funding. They will change the display on Institute Lane through the seasons, and are in the process of adding hanging baskets and plant displays at other locations in the town.

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They are going to introduce a semi-permanent arts trail, and are working with a number of local artists and artisans as part of this project. The council will also be holding busking competitions to promote local musicians, and will provide funding for a community hub in the town centre for local organisations to utilise.

Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.
Colourful umbrellas in Alfreton.

A spokesperson for Amber Valley Borough Council said: “Amber Valley Borough Council was allocated Welcome Back Funding from central government and assigned a portion of the grant to town councils.

“The grant is aimed at Covid recovery for the high street and Alfreton Town Council utilised some of their allocation to design and bring forward the umbrella installation, for which they were the project leads. This project was also part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.”

“The Welcome Back Funding has come to a close now but it has facilitated events, improvements and beautification in town centres across the borough.”

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