M&S and Lidl are among the retailers to have expressed an interest in the site
Idle Valley Nature Reserve on North Road in Retford(Image: James Turner/Nottingham Post)
The developer behind plans for a new Nottinghamshire retail park has pledged the site will “respect” the large nature reserve next door.
M&S and Lidl are among the retailers to have expressed an interest in basing themselves at the site, which could also be home to a restaurant, cinema and care home.
The ‘Retford Northern Gateway’ would be based off North Road in the Bassetlaw town and would be situated right next to the Idle Valley Nature Reserve, managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
The land on which the retail park sits had historical permission for a car auction site when the current owners took it on a couple of years ago, but they decided to go out to consultation on a totally different future for the site.
Reece Musson is one of the owners of the site and said: “This is very much a betterment, not just in terms of environment and biodiversity, but as a lifestyle opportunity for people.
“We want Retford to be a thriving place and we certainly don’t want to take anything away from the town centre. What we want is to deliver something that can’t be delivered in the town centre.”
The site currently envisioned would include a care home, restaurant, supermarket, a drive-thru and fuel station alongside huge areas of green space and sports facilities like a gym and padel courts.
Yet Mr Musson says this vision is not fixed and that, with around 400 comments already in on a recently launched consultation, which closes on August 23, a common theme that has emerged is the desire for Retford to have a cinema.
An artist’s impression showing how the Retford Northern Gateway could look (Image: UKSD)
The town has been without a cinema since The Majestic, now in use as a theatre, closed its picture house in 1983 and nearby options include branches of the Savoy in Worksop and Gainsborough.
Mr Musson says he hopes that an official planning application will be lodged with Bassetlaw District Council by the end of the year, once all views submitted as part of the consultation process have been considered.
The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust says it is encouraging those concerned about the potential impact of the development on its Idle Valley Nature Reserve to take part in the consultation.
The trust says it has engaged directly with developers to understand the potential impacts the project may have on the reserve and to explore the creation of a new wildlife habitat.
Janice Bradley, the trust’s director of nature recovery, said: “Whilst this land has long been allocated for development, given its scale and proximity to the Idle Valley Nature Reserve, it is vital that the potential impacts on the reserve are considered along with the contribution the reserve makes to the well-being of visitors and the local community.
“In recent years, many of the traditional safeguards for nature within the planning system have been removed, weakened or undermined – so it is vital that we continue to stand up for wildlife and that as many local people have their say at this early, pre- planning application stage.
“The trust will also continue to feed in as and when any full planning application is submitted.”
Mr Musson said on this point: “We’re working with the wildlife trust to ensure the site delivers a biodiversity gain. The wildlife trust are not just a consultee, but they’re a neighbour as well, and so it’s paramount that what we deliver respects the existing area as well as improving it.
“Eventually our development will pull more people towards the Idle Valley in a positive sense, so we do very much want to complement rather than compete.