Plans for visitor centre at pumping station

Plans have been put forward to create a new visitor centre and cafe at a Nottinghamshire tourist attraction.

Documents have been submitted to develop Papplewick Pumping Station, with the plans aiming to "extend an existing portal frame building to house and conserve two historic steam engines" along with adding new facilities.

It comes after more than £500,000 was spent on restoration works at the Victorian site last year.

Gedling Borough Council's planning committee is set to review the application later this year.

The pumping station celebrated its 140th anniversary last year and was turned into a museum in 1975 after nearly a century of providing Nottingham with clean water.

Last year's refurbishments were completed after Arts Council England's museum estate and development fund gave £518,000 for the repairs, with a further £58,840 provided by landlord Severn Trent Water.

Documents submitted to the council say the visitor centre would "better explain the exhibits and context of the pumping station", while extending the building to house two "historic" steam engines would preserve items "that are currently open to the elements".

"The proposal is for an extension to a non-listed building, within the grounds of a listed building," it said.

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