New plans for Mansfield Connect have been submitted for planning approval.
The plans include a full redevelopment of the long vacant former Beales and Co-op building into a modern, state-of the-art multi-use civic and community hub.
The plans confirm a full demolition has been proposed by the council’s structural engineers due to the vacant building's poor structural condition, which was highlighted during the early phase of the project.
The new plans for Mansfield Connect can be seen in full on the council’s planning application web pages and will be open to comments from members of the public. Once the consultation period has passed, the plans will be subject to consideration by the Council’s Planning Applications Committee.
The designs have been developed in keeping with the Mansfield Town Centre Design Code with the site highlighted as a key project in the adopted Town Centre Masterplan.
Executive Mayor of Mansfield, Andy Abrahams, said: “The plans for Mansfield Connect look great and I’m really excited to have reached this major milestone. The project is a hugely important one for our ambitious regeneration plans for Mansfield, paving the way for more development which will drive our local economy and attract more private investment.
"Although we initially wanted to refurbish the building, it became clear during our early work that its overall condition was much worse than initial surveys had shown. We explored all options to continue with the refurbishment, but the new design offers an exciting addition to the town centre and presents a much more functional building.
"As a new, state-of-the-art civic and community hub, Mansfield Connect will increase more footfall in the town centre, create more opportunities for local people to work and get access to support and services they need.
“What’s more, we’re breathing new life into this part of the town, an area which has suffered for decades. The work to remove the old pedestrian link bridges and open up Stockwell Gate has massively improved the look and feel of the area already and, together with our plans for the Market Place, lots more positive changes are on the way.”
The £3.2m first phase of the project, which included extensive asbestos removal and removal of the former pedestrian link bridges on Stockwell Gate, was successfully completed earlier this year by construction contractor Kier. The contractor has continued working with Mansfield District Council to create the new plans. Kier is also contracted to conclude work on the façade of the Four Seasons Shopping Centre where the link bridges were once connected.
The Mansfield Connect project aims to bring council services, learning, community support and enterprise together under one roof in the heart of the town centre, creating new activity, better accessibility to vital services and spark further investment and growth in the town.
Having closed in 2020, the council invested £2m to buy the former Beales building in 2021 to take control of the asset and ensure that the site could play a central role in the wider regeneration of the town centre. The proposal led to £29m of Government investment, which has been ring-fenced for this regeneration project.
To leave a comment on the Mansfield Connect Planning Application, visit: https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/planning/comment-planning-application-1.