Council chiefs want to construct the new building across the road from the current ageing centre in a bid to attract 500,000 tourists a year.

The ambitious move, which still needs final funding approval and planning permission, comes after the project lost out on a £50m cashpot under a Big Lottery Fund competition last year.

The proposed new centre would be an 'S' shaped building, standing for Sherwood, and would blend into the landscape – unlike the previous design of The Tree which proved controversial with some local people.

Coun Steve Carroll, Nottinghamshire County Council's cabinet member for culture and regeneration, said: "The new visitor centre will be at the heart of the community, it will help the local economy and support employment in the region. It will also provide a place for local people to learn about the environment.

"It is about much more than a visitor centre — it is about cultural opportunities for people in Nottinghamshire and the opportunities for schools to learn about the forest.

"Lots of schools are going out of the county for school trips at the moment. We want them to really learn about the environment in Nottinghamshire and learn about the forest and sustainability."

The planned centre will feature a unique 360-degree audio-visual experience telling the history of the forest through the eyes of the Major Oak.

It will also include a bridge over the road linking the new centre with the forest and will boast a range of environmentally-friendly features such as a green roof, wood-burning boiler and natural light.

It will house a cafe and restaurant providing seating for up to 180 people, space for conferences and weddings, a shop and high-tech classrooms to educate children and adults.

Outside, there will be two plazas and a large events space for concerts.

Bosses also hope to introduce new trees to the forest, with around 2,500 being planted on the new site and around 500 on site of the current visitor centre when it is closed.

Coun Chris Baron, cabinet member for Environment and Sustainability, said: "Unfortunately we lost out on the Sherwood Living Legend bid but we have always reassured Nottinghamshire residents we would try our hardest to replace the current visitor centre.

"We are also going to be applying for Sherwood Forest to become a regional park so we can protect it for generations to come.

"The new centre will be one of the country's premier attractions and will be worthy of the Robin Hood legend which is known all around the world."

It is hoped the new centre will help bring an extra £7.5m income to the region each year and support around 310 jobs.