Rose Garden Cafe: Have your say on future of popular Sheffield park facility

The consultation process has been launched by the group set up by Sheffield City Council to safeguard the future of the much-loved cafe that had been closed and at threat of demolition because of concerns over structural problems.

A specialist structural engineer has also been appointed to investigate the problems which led to the building’s sudden closure in July 2022. The closure sparked an outcry and a 15-month campaign that finally led to the council agreeing to restore and refurbish the cafe in October 2023.

Councillors meeting later this week are also considering a change of lease for the cafe, which was partly reopened in December 2022 with extensive propping put in place.

The Rose Garden Cafe Partnership brings together the council with the Friends of Graves Park and the Save the Rose Garden Cafe campaign. It is working developing the strategy and vision for the cafe and securing thefunding for its restoration.

Partnership chair Chris Hallam, who has recently taken on the role, said the public consultation on the cafe will run to April 19. He added: “Your view is important to us because it will inform the design proposals, future use of the building and help with funding bids.

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“We have also appointed a new specialist heritage structural engineer from Alan Wood & Partners in Sheffield, to produce a detailed report for us into the structural problems with the cafe wall, which led to its closure in July 2022.”

“We know that people are anxious for this to move quickly. However, we need to understand the current structural state of the building,” he added.

Structural engineers began work today (March 18).

Mr Hallam said: “We now need as many people in Sheffield as possible to complete the survey which is now online and paper copies can also be obtained at the cafe and in local libraries with QR codes for easy access to it.”

Follow this link: https://haveyoursay.sheffield.gov.uk/rose-garden-cafe

Special events have been organised by the partnership to enable people to complete the survey.

They take place on the field next to the cafe on Saturday, March 30 and Sunday 31 and on Saturday, April 13. All run from 9am to 2pm.

“Donations can also be made towards the restoration of the cafe at these events or in the cafe itself,” said Chris.

The city council’s charity trustee sub-committee, which acts as corporate trustee for the charity that gave the park to Sheffield, will on Thursday (March 21) consider granting a tenancy at will to Julie Collins.

She has been running the cafe on behalf of catering company BrewKitchen, who have decided that it no longer fits with their overall business aims. Ms Collins, who also runs the Norfolk Park cafe, was a key member of the campaign who is now active in the partnership group.

A tenancy at will does allow the tenant to leave with immediate effect. However, BrewKitchen have agreed to help ensure a smooth transition if it takes place within a reasonable timescale, a report to the committee says.

The report says that Ms Collins accepts that the tenancy will not give her the right to a more substantial agreement in future.