Sherwood Observatory: Work on Ashfield’s new £5m planetarium set to begin this month

Construction will start on a state-of-the-art new planetarium and discovery centre in Ashfield by the end of August.

Ashfield District Council has confirmed final contracts for the £5m centre, off Coxmoor Road, Sutton, have been signed and the project can begin.

The Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society has been working with the authority, with the facilities to be based at its existing Sherwood Observatory.

The plans were granted planning permission in March and will involve refurbishing an existing underground Victorian reservoir.

A planetarium will be built above it and will include an education facility for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

It is also hoped to become a regional tourism hub for school groups and space fanatics.

Now the council has confirmed construction will begin in the coming weeks on the “exciting” project.

Speaking in the authority’s cabinet meeting on July 31, Cllr Matt Relf (Ash Ind), lead member for economic regeneration, said: “This is going to be a regional centre of excellence.

“It will be teaching and inspiring kids and adults in STEM subjects, of which the observatory already does brilliant outreach work with schools.

“This is going to be able to supercharge that and also be a great tourist destination.

“We have just had the email from the planetarium project manager to say the construction contracts are now signed.

“Construction will now be starting at the end of August and we will be seeing the diggers out on the ground, which is great to see.”

Once complete, the brick-structured underground Victorian reservoir will be refurbished and turned into a major tourism hub.

It will include an exhibition hall with classrooms, meeting rooms and conference rooms above.

The planetarium, which will be 10 metres wide, will sit on the reservoir’s roof and could accommodate 60 people per show.

The upgraded reservoir and planetarium will adjoin the existing Sherwood Observatory, which has operated in the area since 1986.

The plans come as part of the authority’s £62.6m Towns Fund pot secured from the Government in 2021, with £2m allocated for the project.

A further £3.1m was provided through the Levelling Up Fund in January 2023.

It will not be open to public walk-ins and will only be available for pre-booked visits such as school trips.

Cllr Rachel Madden (Ash Ind), the council’s cabinet member for finance, added: “I’m really looking forward to the completion of this project.

“If anyone hasn’t already been to one of their outreach days, go.

“They are very good at explaining it at all levels, whether you’re a novice or a bit of a space nut like me.”

During the meeting, Cllr Relf also provided updates on other projects from the council’s multi-million-pound investment pots.

This included the new Maker Space and business hub at the former Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) building on High Pavement, Sutton.

The project will act as a new site for business and innovation, offering modern spaces and a community workshop facility.

Now Cllr Relf says construction, which is well under way, is expected to conclude in November and the hub is scheduled to open in early 2024.

He said: “It’s getting very exciting in there seeing how it progresses.

“It will have flexible business units available for small businesses and start-ups to rent, and the Maker Space is developing nicely.

“The committee is deciding the exact kit we’re going to be putting in there and we’ll be getting in there from November looking to fit out the place ready for January/February.”