Rebuild under way at community centre gutted by fire

A community centre and GP surgery in Nottinghamshire that was destroyed by a fire is being rebuilt and could be back open as early as the Spring.

The blaze broke out at Gotham Memorial Hall, off Nottingham Road, in February.

The building, which also housed the Orchard Surgery Practice, was gutted in the fire.

But it is now being rebuilt and will include the GP surgery, which is expected to have some new features.

Patients have had to travel to the surgery's Kegworth site for treatment while the memorial hall has been out of action.

Pat Dines, a trustee at Gotham Memorial Hall, described the fire as "soul-destroying".

She said: “It utterly destroyed the village because it's the centre for all the activities that take place."

Gateley Smithers Purslow has been brought in to manage the rebuild, which has been ongoing for several months.

Midlands director Mike Boast said it was "really exciting" to reinstate the building for the local community where he grew up.

He added: "We want to work with the doctors' surgery to implement some new things for them and making sure we bring the community on board to bring some new and exciting features into the building as well."

The centre, which was given for the men of Gotham who died in World War One, first opened in 1922 and last year marked its 100 year anniversary.

It is hoped the new building will be ready to reopen by the Spring.