By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
An 80-seat restaurant and watersports centre could be approved next week on land previously used as a sailing club at King’s Mill Reservoir.
Ashfield District Council’s planning committee will discuss the plans on February 1 and councillors have been recommended to approve the facilities.
It follows the controversial closure of Sutton-in-Ashfield Sailing Club last year after a longstanding battle with the authority over rent fees.
The club had used the reservoir and a ‘starter building’ on the land since 1959.
But its closure marked the end of a period providing sailing to hundreds of families and sailors for more than six decades.
The Ashfield Independent-led authority unveiled the full planning application to reuse the site in October.
In its place will be a new two-storey building featuring a restaurant overlooking the scenic reservoir site.
It will couple with a planned watersports centre on the ground floor and sits next to Nottinghamshire County Council’s Mill Adventure Zone outdoor facilities.
Papers published by the district council to its own planning department last year revealed the restaurant will feature a kitchen, bar area, indoor and outdoor seating and toilets.
The sailing and watersports club, based on the ground floor, will include changing rooms, a boat yard, storage, a straining and meeting room and other facilities for outdoor activities.
Two secure yards for 55 small boats and 12 large boats would also be installed for activities like sailing, paddleboarding and kayaking.
In documents, Ashfield District Council – which is also the developer behind the plans, said: “This building will provide a facility which encourages the health and wellbeing of residents.
“The restaurant will also provide a key attraction to the site, encouraging more visitor numbers and increasing the hospitality offering within the district.”
The facilities, which will be voted upon next week, will also provide open-water swimming.
However, next week’s meeting comes after a separate swimming club on the reservoir closed until the summer after “erratic” water test results.
Love Open Water confirmed last week that it had taken the “difficult decision” to close for several months while further tests are conducted.
The organisation said last week: “As part of our safety procedures, we carry out water testing regularly at our venue and all Love Open Water venues.
“Recent test results for Mill Waters have been erratic so we have made the difficult decision to close this venue until the summer.
“We have not taken this decision lightly as we understand the impact this closure will have on our swimming community.”
