Lifeline for West Park café?

Cheshire East Council has entered into negotiations to secure the future of two of its park cafes.

It would have been three, but Macclesfield Town Council in its wisdom decided we (Macclesfield council tax payers) should take on the responsibility of rebuilding, running and maintaining the derelict South Park pavilion – at a bargain cost of circa £2 million.

Yup, you read that right, £2,000,000!

You may have missed the public consultation – but of the 750 people that voted (out of a potential 57,000), 555 voted yes – so we’re (you and me again) now going to take on a 40-year-mortgage.

Just so you understand the maths the 555 who voted for the scheme equates to less than 1% of Macclesfield’s population.

In the eyes of Macclesfield Town Council that indicates overwhelming support.

Everybody Health and Leisure, which currently runs other leisure centres in the borough, is expected to operate the West Park cafe in Macclesfield and Queens Park cafe in Crewe, on a temporary basis – until a new permanent operator is secured.

Good luck with them, as bars, cafes and restaurants are biting the dust at an alarming rate throughout the region.

Everybody Health and Leisure says it is in advanced discussions about running the sites.

Deep Beat Entertainment Limited, which previously ran the cafes, went into administration in February.

In a statement, Cheshire East Council said: “The council recognises the importance of the cafes at Queens Park and West Park to visitors and our local communities and would like to address the concerns raised over the future of these cafes.”

“The council is in negotiations with Everybody Health and Leisure for them to operate the cafes on a temporary basis, while we work to secure a new operator to take over both sites next year.”

“This arrangement will allow Everybody to continue to run both facilities while this takes place.”

Cheshire says further details would be published once arrangements were finalised.

No doubt, in several years time, ilovemacc will be reporting that an appeal has gone out for someone to run the South Park pavilion after several operators had failed – but it won’t be a problem – Macclesfield Town Council will simply raise our council tax precept again to pay for it.