Residents and shoppers have shared their excitement after plans were unveiled to demolish part of a Mansfield nightclub in order to combine two Wetherspoons pubs and create a huge beer garden. Plans were approved last year to demolish the rear parts of the former QI nightclub, on Leeming Street, to make way for the combined facilities for the Stag and Pheasant and Widow Frost pubs.
Documents from the original application include plans to include around 200 outdoor seats along with a heated and covered area. The two Wetherspoon venues would then be combined to form one single pub, with the beer garden accessed via an altered Stag and Pheasant.
Now, residents have had their say over the demolition. Daniel Self, 49, who lives in Mansfield Woodhouse, said: "I think it's exciting! I'm more happy that something's being done with that nightclub to be honest, it's needed tearing down for years.
"It's a horrible looking thing and this idea of merging the two pubs together is all great. It should be a nice place to come and visit, especially for younger people, during the summer - everyone loves a beer garden. I like both pubs, they're two of the best in Mansfield."
The QI club, which will now be demolished, closed more than a decade ago. The beer garden will form about 393 square metres of that land.
The former nightclub and entrance area of QI would then be used as a bin storage area for the combined Wetherspoon venues, with the frontage to be renovated.
David Rohan, 45, said: "Well I think it's a pretty good idea to be honest. It should be good for Mansfield, I think pubs do quite well here so it doesn't surprise me that they're looking to expand this one.
"It makes sense to get rid of the nightclub as well, it's been on its last legs for a long time and it's just sitting there so it'll be nice to use it to bring those pubs together. I don't mind a spoons, me - it's cheap which is a bonus!
"I'm all for it."
Documents approved by Mansfield District Council last week said noise will be “kept to a minimum” and within regulations, with construction workers to also reduce the volume of dust generated by demolition. Project dates for the demolition have not been outlined at this stage but the first phase is slated to last 16 weeks.
