Proposals for a new £10.5m visitor centre at Sherwood Forest, UK, have been put forward by Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC).

Although the plans are still subject to approval from the council's cabinet and the scheme's funding partners, it is expected that the new facility will be ready to open in 2010. The forest's existing 32-year old visitor centre currently attracts 400,000 visitors each year, but needs to be relocated following an agreement signed in 2002 which named Sherwood Forest as a National Nature Reserve.

NCC's plans include dividing the new centre into five zones; 'Welcome' will provide waiting space and a tourist information point, while 'Catering' will boast a cafe and a restaurant for up to 180 people with external terrace. Other zones include 'Retail', 'Learning' and 'Space', which will offer conference and hospitality facilities. The centre's main attraction, however, will be a visitor experience incorporating a 360 degree film presentation documenting the forest's history.

Land for the new facility has already been acquired from Thoresby Estates, known locally as 'Naish's Field'. It is also hoped that the centre will increase visitor numbers by 25 per cent, generating £7.5m for the local economy. Steve Carroll, NCC's cabinet member for culture and regeneration, said: "The new visitors centre will be at the heart of the community; it will help the local economy and support employment in the region. It will also provide a place for local people to learn about their environment."

NCC hopes secure investment for the scheme from the North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire Alliance Sub-Regional Strategic Partnership and the East Midlands Development Agency by the end of November. If approved by the cabinet on 26 November, and funding is secured, plans will be developed further ahead of public consultation. It is then hoped that a planning application can be submitted in the New Year, with work commencing late in the year.

The existing visitor centre will remain open until the new site is completed.