A weekly newspaper is set to move from its home of 39 years to a new base in a business park.
The Mansfield Chad has been based in an office on Newgate Lane in the town since 1974 but will move to new headquarters in Sherwood Oaks Business Park today.
The Johnston Press title has told readers that its current office, which once included a printing press on site, has become too large for the current staff levels, and the building with its adjoining land is now up for sale.
It is the latest in a series of offices moves by JP newspapers and comes after sister title the Derbyshire Times moved to new offices at Spire Walk in Chesterfield in June.
The move by the Chad also follows the closure of two of its satellite offices in Mansfield town centre and Sutton-in Ashfield last year as part of the publisher’s plan to make all its offices ‘fit for purpose’.
The Mansfield Chad's story about its office move includes photos of its Newgate Lane base over the years.
In a story about the move, assistant editor Ashley Booker said: “The Newgate Lane office has been the home of Chad for many years, there is a lot of local history in this building and leaving here is tinged with sadness, but we are moving to a superb new facility to complement the modern needs of a 21st Century newspaper.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to provide an excellent service for our loyal readers and advertisers.”
The newspaper was previously based on Westgate in the town centre but moved to its Newgate Lane base, which is just outside the town centre, in 1974.
It was then owned by Mansfield-based printing firm W&J Linney Ltd but was bought by Johnston Press in 1995.
Group editor James Mitchinson tweeted this week: “Chad will be moving offices as of Monday. RT to spread the word. The new Sherwood Oaks home is smack-bang next to the Golden Eagle pub!”
The Sherwood Oaks Business Park, off Southwell Road West, is a 43-acre mixed-use development to the south of Mansfield.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Another local paper shoved out of its town centre onto a remote business park surrounded by car dealerships and furniture warehouse “retail outlets”. How depressing.
Report this comment
I totally agree Bluestringer. Not only do most new offices look characterless, but in a few years will appear shabby too. By then the fat cats will be off though, having made the savings they need to take huge bonuses with them … and hang the history (and indeed the future) of the publications.
Report this comment
You just can’t help yourself, can you, Bluestringer? Best read the article again. It correctly notes that the premises that The Chad is leaving are outside the town centre.
Report this comment
Most of us (still) employed by JP are rattling around like peas in a drum in our current offices until we can be found smaller premises, ie, when the property market picks up and our now far-too-roomy premises are sold to another industry, such as a call centre – or maybe a PR firm.
Report this comment
It won’t be long before the Scarborough paper, which turned weekly last year, follows suit. It’s rumoured to be heading to the former Skipton Building Society monolith a few miles out of town, retaining a small shopfront in town.
Report this comment
What an awful goldfish bowl of an office to work in. I remember the day when the subs had their own private little room with everybody smoking. Fag ash kept falling on the copy tray and sometimes set the paper bins on fire. You could open the windows, though, and if you received some rubbishy district correspondent’s news item it could accidentally “blow” outside and be lost in the street below. You could also arrange to slip away for half an hour’s shopping, nip into the library, or have a swift pint or two. Nowadays everything is so serious. Great colleagues made for great times.
Report this comment
Funny how it’s the group editor boasting about the new office being next to the pub as I doubt many of the journalists will be having regular liquid lunches there!
Report this comment