Mansfield registry office to close for 6 months and staff to be relocated for refurbishment works

The County House registry office in Mansfield. Credit Nottinghamshire County Council
By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter

The registry office in Mansfield will close for six months for maintenance work and staff inside the building will be relocated to Mansfield Civic Centre.

The works will impact no weddings, Nottinghamshire County Council says, as the improvements have been planned “for some time”.

The County House registration office, on Chesterfield Road South, will have improved mechanical and electrical systems installed.

There will also be “general improvements” to the building, with works to begin on November 1 and last for six months until April 30, 2023.

Staff working inside the building are to be relocated to the Mansfield District Council headquarters, on the other side of the same road.

This is where deaths and births will continue to be registered and wedding appointments will be held.

Nottinghamshire County Council, the authority in charge of birth, death and wedding registrations, confirmed no weddings were booked into the diary for the period when the work is taking place.

Portland College, on Nottingham Road, has been allocated as an alternative wedding location during the closure period and will host ceremonies on one Saturday each month.

Councillor John Cottee (Con), the county council’s cabinet member for communities, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The registration team had known about the intention to close the building for planned maintenance works for some time.

“[This meant] they have been able to limit the impact on couples planning their ceremonies.

“There is an alternative provision for ceremonies over the closure period at Portland College on one Saturday per month.

“It is our intention that the first ceremonies back at County House in Mansfield will take place in early May 2023.

“We are pleased that routine birth and death registration appointments as well as notice of marriage/civil partnership appointments will take place at Mansfield Civic Centre during the closure period.

“This is great news for the local community who are already familiar with the building.”

Cllr Keith Girling (Con), the authority’s portfolio holder for asset management, added: “The temporary closure of the registration office will not impact wedding or civil partnership ceremonies.

“Careful planning by our property team, working closely with registration colleagues, means that no ceremonies were booked in for the proposed closure period.”

The relocation of staff was approved during a delegated decision by the authority last week.

Relocated services will be based at part of the Civic Centre’s old housing offices, the Meden Room and three interview rooms.

A report published ahead of the meeting did not confirm the cost of the refurbishments or how much Nottinghamshire County Council is spending on staff relocation fees.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has asked the authority for confirmation of these costs but has not yet received a response.