County council eyes new Mansfield town centre hub over Meadow House upgrade

Mansfield Council has revealed plans to move some services from the Civic Centre into the former Beales store in Four Seasons Shopping Centre under its new town centre masterplan.

Now Nottinghamshire Council has said it would be keen to be involved.

Coun Keith Girling, Nottinghamshire Council economic development and asset management committee chairman, said the hub is something the county council would ‘very much like to be a part of’, allowing the authority to release buildings for sale elsewhere in the county.

He said: “We deliver some serious services and need to be delivering them from buildings fit for purpose. Where we can, buildings will be multi-functional.”

He was speaking as the council confirmed it will push forward with plans to build a multi-million-pound office building at Top Wighay Farm, Linby.

The council revealed its £27.74 million Investing in Nottinghamshire programme weeks before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with a £14.7m building at Top Wighay Farm at the centre of the plans.

The proposals were then put on hold and a review launched after the start of the pandemic, with a reduction in office space needed as people work from home.

Documents due before the next EDAM committee show the plan will now cost about £20.9m.

Upgrade

The scheme had included a £3m upgrade of Meadow House, on Littleworth, Mansfield – but the review says Mansfield Council’s planned hub presents an opportunity to be explored before committing such an amount.

The papers said: “An opportunity has also presented itself to potentially co-locate services with Mansfield Council in bespoke, new accommodation in Mansfield.

“At the moment, the proposals in Mansfield could potentially provide a new home for some of our services in Meadow House, which is the second largest office base the council owns which supports 525 frontline staff and provides a key contact point for the delivery of social care services.

“The proposal by Mansfield Council is to submit a Levelling Up fund bid for a new office building for the town centre which would be easily accessible for our services.

“We need to explore this further before committing the significant sums of funding that had been proposed for this development.”

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