Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) in the UK has unveiled revised plans for the development of a new Sherwood Forest visitor centre at Edwinstowe, near Mansfield.

The £5.2m attraction will replace the existing 32-year-old visitor centre as part of an agreement signed in 2002 with Natural England, which named Sherwood Forest as a National Nature Reserve.

NCC's initial plans for the centre had been due to cost more than £9m, but a review of the scheme led to a proposed conference and function space being dropped from the development.

Detailed designs for the new Sherwood Forest attraction, which is poised to include education and entertainment spaces, a café and a retail unit, are being drawn up by the council and will be revealed this summer.

A planning application is due to be submitted later this year, with a view to construction work getting underway in spring 2011. The current centre will remain open until the new facility opens in 2012.

John Cottee, NCC's cabinet member for culture and community, said: "We have cut back the costs, but not the quality. Visitors will be able to enjoy a modern visitor centre with great place to eat, buy gifts and learn all about Robin Hood and his famous home.

"Plus, we are looking at different designs that are modular, so that if we are successful in acquiring money from other funding streams the attraction can be further developed."

Experience Nottinghamshire interim chief executive Jennifer Spencer added: "Sherwood Forest is an iconic, world renowned destination so it's vital that we have a visitor centre to do justice to the legacy of Robin Hood and the historical forest itself."