Alterations to open former cells

Improvements are planned for a building owned by Southwell Town Council to make it more useful to the community.

The council is submitting plans to renovate and improve the Old Court House at The Burgage.

The building is used as the council office and is available free to the town’s voluntary organisations, clubs and societies.

The council wants to install a kitchen in the committee room on the first floor, install a stairlift and create access to two former police cells on the ground floor.

Planning permission and listed building consent is needed from Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The town clerk, Carol Standish, said: “We’ve got access to one cell on the ground floor that is currently used as a toilet and another cell is used by Southwell Civic Society.

“There are two older police cells that we can currently only access through the police station. We are hoping to knock through so we can access them through our building.”

The clerk said they hoped to create two new rooms which could be used by the civic society and Southwell Historical Society.

The cell currently used by the civic society would be used as office space by the council.

Carol Standish said the work was scheduled for next financial year and was expected to cost around £9,000.

“We want to create a real community space that some of the local organisations can use and benefit from,” she said.

“The intention is for it to be used more as a community building.”

Installation of the stairlift was expected to cost around £7,500.

The council is applying for grants towards the cost of the work.

At a meeting of the town’s finance and policy committee Mr Andrew Gregory said the renovations would make the building more attractive for use by town groups.

Mr John Robinson said the Old Court House would be a good venue for weddings.

Mr Peter Harris said the building wasn’t registered for marriages but once the improvements were done it was something the council could look into.