Plans unveiled for leisure and recreation facilities at former Clipstone Colliery site

Cerda Planning Limited has been instructed by the Clipstone Miners Welfare Community Trust to act on their behalf in respect of the submitted application seeking full planning permission for a leisure and recreational sports facility.

The application site sits within the 21st-century cleared and remediated area of the colliery, which has since been turned into grassland.

The buildings associated with the former Clipstone Colliery – which closed in 2003 – have been demolished and cleared, except the headstocks and powerhouse adjacent to the application site in a fenced-off ‘topple zone’ area.

The powerhouse and headstocks are Grade II listed buildings.

In a planning statement, issued in October 2023, developers said the access road to the headstocks, powerhouse, concrete pads for parking, and a temporary security hut that remain on the site, ‘would not be affected by the proposed development’.

Proposed facilities include a stadia football pitch, one rugby AGP pitch, a cricket pitch, along with a play park and a multi-sports arena.

Plans also seek permission to build ‘a single storey building’ to provide changing rooms, offices, plant room and catering facilities, along with a function room and WC facilities.

An ancillary car park catering for 168 cars, minibuses, EV charging points and cycle storage feature on the plans.

Flood lights are proposed around the Stadia and AGP pitch, with vehicular access shown on the submitted site plan from Mansfield Road.

For an extensive rundown of the plans, see 23/01846/FULM at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

In email correspondence with Sport England – the non-departmental public body under the department for culture, media and sport – the public body has objected to the application as of November 2023.

A spokesperson for Sport England said: “The proposal has the potential to meet the requirements of Sport England’s objective ‘provide’.

“However, there is currently insufficient information to enable Sport England to make an informed judgement.”

Sport England will review this objection if additional information is provided.

The public body recommended that discussion takes place to discuss the proposals and the additional information required.