FOR WHOM IT TOLLS

A celebration to mark the start of work on Ilkeston’s iconic 1930s crescent-shaped Toll Bar building will take place on Tuesday 16th February at 12noon – a project that will bring new opportunities for small businesses in Erewash. The Leader of Erewash Borough Council, Councillor Carol Hart, and Councillor Michael Powell, Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, will join contractors to celebrate the launch of work on one of Ilkeston’s most distinctive buildings. Toll Bar House sits alongside Ilkeston’s White Lion Square roundabout at the gateway to the town centre and, now owned by Erewash Borough Council, it was originally built for Nottingham Electric Power Company.

Erewash Borough Council and its partners have now started work to upgrade, redevelop and revitalise the landmark building as part of a £850,000 environmental project to transform it into an energy and water efficient building to help combat climate change. The refurbishment of the art deco landmark will house accommodation suitable for small and growing companies where office space is constrained in Ilkeston.

The project will include creating 22 offices, shared meeting rooms, kitchen and bathroom facilities with the flexibility to combine spaces to create larger letting units and the development of old garages to form workshop space. D2N2 - the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire - has allocated £425,000 from its Local Growth Fund allocation towards the refurbishment.

Councillor Michael Powell, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says: “In these challenging times that we still face, this is such good news and we thank all our partners for getting this vital project underway. Toll Bar House is such a landmark building and it is a credit to all involved that work has started in these difficult times to transform it and offer high quality office space and allow the opportunity to attract new businesses to our borough. It is difficult to put a price on this project – it will be priceless to local business.”