Nottinghamshire County Council’s vision for a new visitor
centre is to create a new attraction to promote and enhance the national and
international reputation of Sherwood Forest, the legend
of Robin Hood and the broader history and heritage of Nottinghamshire.
The Council is asking potential partners to develop a
creative proposal as to how they see the vision for the centre being delivered
on the site.
The proposal should set out how the story of Sherwood
Forest – its nature and wildlife, the legend of Robin Hood and the
wider history of Nottinghamshire can be told in a thrilling, vibrant and
exciting way.
The proposal should indicate how and in what way you would
work with the County Council in operating the centre and also the adjacent
National Nature Reserve (NNR).
The Council wishes to encourage potential partners to
satisfy the vision for Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre by utilising their
creative skills, experience and capability.
Notwithstanding this, the Council has clearly set out its
business objectives and encourages all potential partners to demonstrate these
in your proposals.
There is no set format for the design and presentation of
your proposals but by way of guidance, the following points are designed to
assist:
- a visual and graphic illustration of what a new centre could
look like
- a narrative or storyboard telling the Nottinghamshire story
- an outline business plan of how you see your operation of
the visitor centre
- a clear statement of how you would seek to balance the
commercial elements of a visitor attraction with the conservation work on the
NNR
- a robust funding package which indicates the levels of
capital and revenue funding that you are able to contribute
- a strategy for communicating with and involving appropriate
local and countywide stakeholders and partners
- your ability to fulfil the requirements of the due diligence
questionnaire.
The County Council’s objectives which will guide our
evaluation of your proposals are summarised below:
- the creation of a new, exciting, innovative all weather, all
year round visitor and tourist attraction that will:
- increase visitor numbers (currently 360,000 per year)
- have a minimum life span of 25 years
- have a landscape plan that is compatible with any building
design
- permit free access to the National Nature Reserve (NNR)
through a safe road crossing
- manage visitor impact on the habitat of the NNR
- provide appropriate visitor information on the NNR, Sherwood
Forest and Nottinghamshire
- provide sufficient educational and learning facilities
- provide sufficient car parking facilities and/or park and
ride operations
- ensure that environmental and sustainable good practice is
followed during the design, development and operation of the centre
- ensure the site infrastructure can support increased visitor
numbers
- secure the involvement of partner agencies and organisations
- provide facilities for NNR ranger and site management
personnel and their equipment including communication facilities
- reinvest a proportion of income to support NNR management
- reduce the level of capital commitment required from the
County Council.
