The building plans so far consist of:
1. Welcome area - providing gathering / waiting space and a tourist information point
2. Catering - including café and restaurant for up to 180 people, with an external terrace
3. Retail - selling a range of products which are different from local traders, in order to enhance and not duplicate existing trade
4. Learning - classrooms to educate school children and adults on conservation and the special ecology of Sherwood
5. Multi purpose area - for conferences, weddings, functions or corporate use.
6. Functional area – including public WCs and buggy store

Some ideas...Anyone who has visited the centre will know that the catering has consisted of chips and sunday roasts.
It would be great to see organic, fair trade, local produce.
I'd love to see compost toilets, recycled grey water systems, forest garden, use of eco-friendly building materials, NOT 'ample' car parking! but bike hire/bike parking etc. This is such a valued and important ecological site that needs to be protected.

'Residents of Nottinghamshire and visitors to the county are being given the opportunity to have their say on proposed plans for a new £10.5m visitor centre in the heart of Sherwood Forest. The proposed plans and further information will be available to view from January 12 to 23 at a number of exhibitions held across the county.'

County Council officers will be present between 10am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm to discuss the plans and answer any questions. The dates and venues are:

Monday 12 Edwinstowe Library
Tuesday 13 Edwinstowe Library
Wednesday 14 Ollerton Library
Friday 16 Worksop Library
Saturday 17 Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre
Sunday 18 Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre
Monday 19 Mansfield Library
Tuesday 20 Mansfield Library
Thursday 22 Rufford Craft Centre
Friday 23 West Bridgford Library

For the duration of the consultation there will also be a display of the plans in the Local Studies section of Central Library in Nottingham city centre.

Plans, further information and an online questionnaire will be available on this page from the start of the consultation on 12 January 2009