Heritage Action Zone

Newark and Sherwood District Council, funded by Historic England, is working with local people and partners to help breathe new life into high streets and buildings that are rich in heritage.

Newark Conservation Area has been granted High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) status. Our work will help build the potential of Newark’s high streets and buildings and make them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors. The District Council believes the HSHAZ can play a key role in the economic and social recovery of the town centre following COVID-19.

What is HSHAZ?

The High Streets Heritage Action Zones scheme, backed by government funding, aims to help with the recovery of local high streets, from regenerating historic buildings to helping to engage local communities through art and cultural projects. The project will run from 2021 to 2024.

The Newark Conservation Area has been awarded £275,000 High Street Heritage Action Zone funding from Historic England for regeneration in the area. With private sector investment and match funding by Newark and Sherwood District Council the total funding for the project is £550,000.

The focus is on repairing and refurbishing key historic buildings in the town centre, re-designing the public realm to build a more connected area and helping to boost the local economy.

Why Newark?

The Newark Conservation Area is on the national Heritage at Risk Register. This is partly because the Conservation Area suffers from vacant Listed Buildings, buildings in poor condition, poor shop fronts and loss of architectural detailing on historic buildings.

The most significant concentration of heritage at risk properties, combined with vacancy and other key high street problems lies in the medieval core of the town centre, ranging from the Castle area to the Market Place via the important retail streets of Kirk Gate, Stodman Street and Middle Gate.  The HSHAZ forms part of the regeneration of Newark town centre.

A map showing the boundary of the Heritage Action Zone in Newark and listed buildings within it

What works will be funded?

Newark’s HSHAZ programme will help transform and restore disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, shops, work places and community spaces, bring back local historic character and improve public realm. Throughout the three year project we will be working on:

  • Providing grants for building work and refurbishment – grants will become available for those undertaking physical works to properties with significant heritage character in the HSHAZ area, including refurbishing and replacing out of character shopfronts.
  • Public realm improvements – researching ways we can create a more connected and safer town centre which is clear and practical to navigate, including looking at how to better connect the Potterdyke areas at Beaumond Cross and Martindale Lane.
  • Implementing a cultural programme and building community engagement – a three-year programme of events and activities led by Newark’s Cultural Consortium celebrating Newark’s heritage and community.

How do I apply for a grant?

If your building is within the Newark HSHAZ boundary (see map above) and you wish to carry out external repair or refurbishment works, you can fill out the Expression of Interest Form.

Once the form is completed, a member of the Conservation Team will be in touch to discuss the expression of interest for grant funding.

Newark Creates: a High Street Heritage Action Zone project

Newark Creates is a three year cultural programme that forms part of Newark’s Heritage Action Zone project. Between 16 February and 7 March 2021 we ran a public consultation to help us learn more about how the public already engage in Newark’s cultural activities and how we can shape Newark for the future.

The information was collected by Newark and Sherwood District Council on behalf of Inspire, the lead project partner, in accordance with GDPR. The results are now being analysed and will inform the Cultural Consortium’s approach to developing a programme.

For more information about our HSHAZ, including enquiring about your property or suggestions for the town please contact us at conservation@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk