Work on revamped £20m Worksop shopping centre to start early next year

The Priory shopping centre in Worksop.
By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
A £20 million revamp for a Worksop shopping centre has been given the go-ahead and will start in early 2025.
Bassetlaw District Council’s planning committee met last night (October 16) to discuss the proposed development at the Priory Centre.
It will now be redeveloped through a part-demolition and part-new build extension.
The new centre will offer more family entertainment including tenpin bowling, crazy golf, a café and an indoor soft play.
A new indoor market will also be built, along with a separate food court and retail food and drink units.
Building contractors G F Tomlinson say once the part-demolition phase is completed in around three months, there will a roughly one year contract for development works.
Carl Wiltshire, Framework Manager at G F Tomlinson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re still undertaking certain surveys, to assess the condition of the building, we’re waiting for those reports- the aspiration is to commence works after Christmas, early in the new year.”
Cllr Julie Leigh, Leader of Bassetlaw District Council, said: “I’m delighted we are now able to start the process of putting spades in the ground and delivering the investment and change that will make our town centre a more attractive place to visit and for businesses to flourish.
“A great deal of hard work has gone in to getting the project to this point and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this so far.”

Councillor Deborah Merryweather (Ind), speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, said the plans reflect much-needed work.
She said: “I think it will bring a lot to the area and bring Worksop back up because it’s been a dying town.
“It’s about time Worksop had something without travelling to Doncaster, Nottingham, where there is something on the door step.
“A lot of towns now, they’re dying because of online shopping- [council’s] have got to think of things like this to bring people in.
“A lot of moans I get as a councillor is that we need more shops- you’re not going to get the big shops coming in because the footfall’s not there.”
During the meeting, Cllr Merryweather recommended a sensory area be added for neurodivergent people to create a more inclusive space for families.
This has not been formally confirmed but the council has said it could look into including it in the work.
A changing place toilet that accommodates adults with disabilities is included in the redevelopment.
The project will be paid for with £17.9 million of Government funding in awarded in January 2023, added to £2 million of funding being provided by the council and its partners.
The Government money is part of a £400 million ‘Levelling up’ project given by the previous Conservative government to improve educational and health services in areas identified as most in need.
The council’s leisure partners BPL are behind the development’s planned family entertainment complex.
The bottom floor of the centre will include the leisure units, retail spaces, the food court and the indoor market, with the first floor including the bowling lanes.
Wider plans include a new pedestrian footbridge over Chesterfield Canal to allow better access into the shopping centre and town centre.
Part of the proposals also include an outline application for up to 44 residential units.