‘Nothing but positive’ as new £5m Sutton planetarium gets green light

Ashfield Council’s planning committee has unanimously backed the state-of-the-art plan for the Sherwood Observatory, on Coxmoor Road, Sutton.

Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society has developed plans which will see a planetarium and educational centre join the observatory as part of the £62.6 million Towns Fund Deal for Ashfield.

The proposal will see the construction of a planetarium on top of the existing Victorian subterranean reservoir which will be transformed into an exhibition hall, classrooms, and meeting/conference rooms.

The planetarium will be open for pre-booked visits, scheduled events and educational visits. It will be 10-metres wide accommodate 60 people per show.

Steve Wallace, project manager, previously said: “The centre will create a unique visitor attraction and raise the profile of the Ashfield area significantly.”

Christine Sarris, senior council planning officer, told the committee the scheme will improve education and learning opportunities.

Fourteen letters were submitted during a planning consultation, with 13 supporting the proposal and one neither objecting nor supporting.

Comments included the scheme being a “brilliant opportunity” and a “fantastic idea”, with one saying it would be a “unique addition” to Ashfield.

Others said the project would improve tourism, benefit the local economy and boost education.

However, the facility will only be open for pre-booked visits, including school visits, but not for public walk-in sessions, which, the council says, will help provide a “cap” on the number of people visiting at one time and reduce the impact on traffic.

A society spokesman previously said “The new centre will be a unique and exciting visitor attraction.

“It will also be a jewel in the crown of the local visitor economy, creating a unique tourist attraction that will be out of this world.”

Following the unanimous planning approval, councillors say the plans will begin construction later this year and should be open by summer 2024.

Coun Matthew Relf, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “It’s a brilliant project and it’s nothing but positive. I’m a huge supporter, it will be a massive asset to Ashfield.”