Plans for a new boathouse and an 80-seat restaurant at King’s Mill Reservoir, Sutton, have been given the green light by Ashfield District Council.

The new building will provide modern, accessible changing and storage facilities for water sports on the ground floor, with a dedicated space for a restaurant on the first floor.

Plans will support activities including sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and open water swimming at the reservoir.

The council said new offering will allow more visitors to the reservoir the opportunity to access water sports.

Part of Ashfield District Council’s £62.6m Towns Fund projects, the work will include the demolition of the former sailing club building at the reservoir.

Since submitting an initial planning application for the plans in 2022, the council has been undertaking surveys and site investigations at the sailing club building to ensure wildlife is protected and habitats enhanced.

The new building will include new bat roosts, bird nesting boxes, and a replacement open-front pole-mounted kestrel nesting box.

Construction of the new extended car park to accommodate the new leisure building will begin in May, with demolition of the sailing club building beginning later this year. The construction of the new building, on the site of the sailing club building, is due to start in late summer.

The new facilities are due to be completed during the summer of 2024.

The new leisure facilities will complement the expansion of the Mill Adventure Base to include new outdoor activities, which will be open in 2023.

The plans for the reservoir are just one of 17 projects being funded by the £62.6m Towns Fund.

Coun Samantha Deakin, executive lead member for Parks, Town Centres and Environmental Services, said: “We can’t wait to to open up the offer of a variety of great new activities to visitors. The location of the new restaurant will be a fantastic addition to the reservoir.

“The demolition and construction phases of this project will be done sensitively to ensure none of the resident wildlife will be disturbed.”

Coun Matthew Relf, executive lead member for Regeneration and Corporate Transformation, added: “This is another positive step for our plans to make Mill Waters one of the top tourist destinations in the East Midlands. We want to hear from clubs or individuals, who are keen to get involved in developing and running water sports activities at the reservoir. Please get in touch with the team if you are interested.”

If you are interested in developing / delivering water sports activities at the reservoir, contact: [email protected]