Pictures show underground Victorian Sutton reservoir due to be transformed into £5m planetarium

The Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society and Ashfield Council have been working together on the new plans, based at the existing Sherwood Observatory.

The Coxmoor Road plans were unanimously backed by council planners this week with the major new facility expected to open for visitors next year.

The plans will involve refurbishing the underground reservoir and building a planetarium building above it.

The centre will then be used as an educational facility for science, technology, engineering and maths subjects and will act as a tourism hub for school groups.

Now new council pictures have shown the underground brick structure at the observatory which will be transformed.

Once complete, it will be refurbished and turned into an exhibition hall, with classrooms, meeting 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.

Christine Sarris, council assistant director for planning, told the planning committee meeting, said: “If you haven’t been inside the reservoir, it is absolutely fascinating.

“It’s an old, subterranean Victorian reservoir and it’s absolutely brilliant it’s going to be retained.

“The pictures give a glimpse of the fantastic Victorian architecture beneath.

“In the proposal, all of this will be dry and very much cleaned up so you can see it in all its potential glory.”

Construction on the project will begin later this year with an expected opening date of summer 2024.