Plans to transform one of Newark’s most iconic buildings into an art gallery and café have been approved.
Mark Enstone, the owner of Contemporary Art Newark, a community interest company (CIC), is behind the scheme and had submitted a planning application to Newark and Sherwood District Council.
The council approved his proposals to convert the ground floor of The Ossington on Beastmarket Hill on Tuesday.
Mark Enstone, director of Contemporary Art Newark CIC at The Ossington. Photo: Iliffe Media
The internal works will result in a minimalist and discreet interior, preserving the ceilings, but the modern bar at the front and modern balustrade will be dismantled. The modern counter and pizza oven will also be removed.
The gallery will feature a freestanding display system to allow for exhibition flexibility and to minimise impact on the historic fabric across the three gallery rooms.
The modern tiled floor is set to be replaced with a matching oak floor.
Plans to turn The Ossington, on Beast Market Hill, Newark, into an art gallery approved. Photo: NSDC planning portal
Alongside the gallery space, the plans are to include a café, a shop in the foyer, and a redesigned courtyard garden overlooking the River Trent and Newark Castle.
The Grade II-listed building first opened its doors in 1882, and has since served as a hotel, tax office, pub, fish restaurant, the pizza chain Zizzi, and Stray’s.
The plans were approved on the condition that works begin no later than three years from the decision date.
A separate planning application has been submitted for proposed signs at The Ossington, including individual letters for Contemporary Art Newark, mounted above the archway, set to replace the existing signs.
The Ossington. Photo: Iliffe Media
It also includes two boards mounted on the pilaster and one board sign in the garden.
Members of the planning committee at Newark Town Council voiced their support for this second application at a meeting last night. A decision is to be made at a later date by the district council.
Newark resident David Fargher showed his support to the art gallery plans. Responding to the plans which have been approved, he said: “’I’m genuinely delighted to see these proposals coming forward for The Ossington, and I fully support the application.
“This is a building that has always been about people, about connection, conversation, and community, and these plans feel like a natural and thoughtful continuation of that legacy.
“Rather than forcing something unfamiliar into the space, this proposal works with the building’s character, breathing life back into it in a way that respects its past while giving it a meaningful future.”
For more planning news in our area, visit the Public Notice Portal here.