By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans have been lodged to improve the cafe and visitor experience at Ashfield’s popular Selston Country Park.
Ashfield District Council has lodged the plans to its own planning department and aims to “significantly increase” the size of the Cafe In The Park facility.
The cafe was initially opened in 2007 before remaining permanently closed between 2017 and March 2021, when it reopened after minor refurbishments.
This included improvements to the kitchen and it being taken over by a local company to become a “popular spot for locals and visitors”.
However, the council says there is often not enough seating for customers to sit both indoors and outdoors and indoors in the colder months.
Now it plans to extend the facility by offering a bi-folding screen to allow visitors to look out over a planned new play area.
This play area is part of a separate application for the country park and is included in wider improvements to the popular facility.
A pergola would also be introduced to add additional seating and cover in the outside area and an existing compound would be removed to create more internal seating.
In documents, the authority says the plans would improve the experience for people using the park.
It said: “We believe the proposals have been developed and designed to enhance the existing cafe/parks facilities and provide more space for the demand currently experienced by the café operator.
“The extension is part of a wider set of proposals and will add value to and amenities to them, specifically the children’s play park so parents have somewhere to sit and watch over their children playing.”
The authority added: “Since its reopening, it has become a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
“On occasion, it reported there is not sufficient capacity for customers to sit in the covered area, especially in the colder months.
“There were early considerations and feasibility designs to provide a purely external seating area with permanent canopy cover.
“But these were deemed not to meet the requirements of the café operator for year-round operation and would introduce additional maintenance requirements.”
Other, separate improvements to the park include a croquet pitch and a wildflower meadow.
“Combined with the café extension, the intention is this will make the park a desired commodity and focal point for the community,” the authority adds.
Councillor Andy Gascoyne (Ash Ind) represents Selston on the authority and says £250,000 is being invested into the park.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This application is the next stage of our ambitious plans to turn our provide amazing facilities for the people of our parish.
“It will significantly increase the size of the café, get rid of our compound and improve the visitor experience.
“This is the latest part of our £250,000 investment in our country park.”
The popular park is based on land previously used as Selston Golf Club and has recently become well-used for outdoor events like cinema screenings.
The authority’s planning committee will discuss the cafe extension at a later date.
