Planetarium bid speeds towards its final frontier
WORK ON £5.25M PROJECT COULD START IN EARLY 2022
AN ambitious project to turn a disused underground Victorian reservoir into a state-of-the-art planetarium has moved a step closer.
Funding for part of the £5.25m project on the site of Sherwood Observatory in Sutton-in-ashfield is now in place and a contractor appointed, according to the team behind it.
It would become one of just a handful of UK destinations to combine a planetarium with an observatory – and is thought to have the potential to attract at least 20,000 visitors a year.
A planning application will be submitted early next year and, if it is approved, work o could start later in 2022.
The team at Sherwood Observatory has secured support from the Towns Fund programme.
Planetarium project manager Steve Wallace said: “The new centre will create a unique visitor attraction and help raise the profile of our area significantly.
“It will focus on delivering STEM content in an exciting and hands-on way, to raise awareness of the opportunities that STEM careers can unlock an important aspect of future jobs creation in our region.”
Striking designs drawn up by Nottinghamshire architects Player Roberts Bell show a 10m diameter planetarium, accommodating about 60 people per show, that will sit on the reservoir’s roof.
The planetarium is being designed though a partnership of RSA Cosmos and ST Engineering Antycip, global leaders in digital planetariums and visual displays.
The area around the planetarium would serve as a viewing platform for portable telescopes.
The project has been accelerated through SCAPE Construction and local contractor Robert Woodhead Limited has been appointed to carry out the building work.
Leo Woodhead, director of Robert Woodhead Limited, said: “We are so pleased to have been appointed to build the new centre through the SCAPE. It means we can bring our construction expertise in delivering exceptional visitor attractions at the earliest possible stage.
“This early engagement has a multitude of benefits to the project, one being how we can get people involved in discovering STEM during the design and construction phases to deliver exceptional social value.”
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, added: “This project is a great example of how government funding can be channelled to breathe new life into local communities. “Not only will it stimulate the local visitor economy but also inspire children and develop much needed interest in Stem-based careers. “We’re extremely proud to have helped accelerate the project through procurement and, in turn, ensure Sherwood Observatory will be supported by a best-in-class local delivery team.” In November, plans were presented to an audience of business and community leaders along with a call for more local businesses to back the project and provide the outstanding funding required to bring the whole project to fruition.
The project needs a further £3 million of matched funding from business donations, grant funding and donations from the public.
If funding is confirmed, it could open in early 2024.
The new centre will create a unique visitor attraction and help raise the profile of our area significantly Steve Wallace