Proctor and Matthews Architect's proposals to transform a long-derelict area of Mansfield town centre into affordable housing have been given the green light. The flagship regeneration scheme on White Hart Street has been approved by Mansfield District Council’s Planning Committee, following its meeting on Monday 9 June.
The £18 million pound development will breathe new life into the site, delivering 60 affordable homes, revitalising heritage buildings into commercial spaces, and reconnecting the area with the wider town centre. The new council homes will offer a mix of property types, including family houses and apartments for older residents.
The project will be delivered in two phases, with the first phase of work expected to begin in the winter of 2025 and reach completion in 2028.
Proctor and Matthews Architects were selected following a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) international design competition in 2023, commissioned by the council to ensure a distinctive and high-quality architectural approach.
Located within the Bridge Street Conservation area and in close proximity to the train station and market square, the 0.69 hectare industrial site has a rich and diverse history. Evidence of tanneries, breweries and printworks shape the architecture and distinctive urban form. The site once served as a historic hub for unofficial gatherings and events, with the White Hart Inn and the White Hart Croft hosting theatrical performances, Victorian fairs and even a circus at its centre!
The design creates a framework of interconnecting yards, ginnels and squares that celebrate this vibrant heritage and restore a community focus at the heart of the development. New pedestrian routes have been created to enhance connectivity to the town centre, linking Dame Flogan Street in the southwest to the Norman Church of St. Peter and St. Paul to the northeast, and connecting the Midworth Street listed maltings in the south to the market square at the heart of Mansfield town centre in the north.
A new central square, ‘The Croft’, will form a community hub and welcoming space for residents to meet, while providing a space for local activities, performances and gatherings to take place.
Flexible workspaces and new commercial premises will be provided in retained heritage buildings, including refurbished warehouse buildings and the former tannery. Arched thresholds inspired by the entrances to Mansfield’s historic yards define the neighbourhood quarter.
As part of the wider town centre greening initiative, a series of residents’ gardens will be created. Sustainability has been a key consideration for the proposals, with high levels of thermal performance, as well as the inclusion of heat pumps and photovoltaics. These measures are intended to minimise the project’s environmental impact while helping to lower utility costs for future residents.
