Betting company set to take over well-known store in Mansfield town centre

The Millets shop on West Gate sells clothes and equipment for outdoor pursuits such as camping, rambling, cycling and ski-ing.

It occupies the ground floor of a striking three-storey building that dates back to the 18th century and sits next to the Greggs bakery chain.

But it’s now time to place your bets on the property’s future after Mansfield District Council gave the go-ahead for the Irish gambling company, BoyleSports, to take over the ground floor.

Permission has already been granted to convert the first and second floors into an HMO (house in multiple occupation) comprising five two-bedroom flats and a single one-bedroom flat.

Millets freely admits that it has been struggling and even intended to close at the end of 2023 because of “poor levels of trade”.

A fresh and flexible rental agreement, with concessionary terms, was thrashed out with the property’s landlord, enabling the store to continue.

But this was only meant to be temporary, so concerted attempts were made to market the property for lease and for freehold sale.

There was “no material interest of note”, according to the marketing agents, FHP. So when BoyleSports stepped in, FHP recommended that the council supported its change-of-use application “to secure the vitality of the property”.

"Otherwise, it will remain vacant for the foreseeable future,” said FHP. “The retail market in Mansfield is challenging, with a number of vacant buildings across the town centre.”

Founded in 1982, BoyleSports operates more than 320 betting shops across the UK and Ireland. Among the big horse-races it sponsors is the Irish Grand National.

The council has received some opposition to the plan, with one objector pointing out that there were already four other betting shops “within the primary core of the town centre”.

They added: “The proposal will fail to make a positive contribution to the centre, nor diversify the shopping area.

"It will also result in a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of local residents.”

However, BoyleSports is promising “significant investment” in the West Gate building and has assured the council that its character will be preserved.

It plans to employ three full-time members of staff and three part-time, while 26 temporary construction jobs will be created during the alterations work at the store.

Meanwhile, work on turning the disused offices on the upper floors into an HMO is expected to begin soon after planning permission was granted to Broad Meadow Property Ltd, of Lincoln.

The council did receive a warning from the police that anti-social behaviour is often linked to HMOs, many of which, officers said, had “poor standards of security which render the occupants at an increased risk of becoming victims of crime”.

However, a condition of planning permission was that stringent security measures are put in place and approved by council officers, while Broad Meadow insisted the flats will be “high quality”.

The property company said the “redevelopment will restore the building and prevent any further decay and decline”.

It also pointed out that the demand for office space in town centres was on the wane since the Covid-19 pandemic after a five-fold increase in home or hybrid working.