Rose Garden Cafe: Sheffield council-community partners take first steps to save Graves Park building

The Friends of Graves Park, Save the Rose Garden Café Campaign and Sheffield City Council are now working together in a partnership to restore the cafe, which the council closed in July 2022 because of concerns over its safety. The partnership came about after more than a year of campaigning to save the 96-year-old building, off Hemsworth Road.

Head of parks and countryside Ruth Bell told the council’s communities, parks and leisure policy committee that the partnership has now held a series of meetings. Applications to become the independent chair or a member of the partnership closed yesterday (December 12).

She said that a separate meeting has also taken place between the council and the Friends of Graves Park and their surveyor, who has already carried out an independent inspection of the building. The surveyor previously contested the views of the surveyors used by the council on how bad the state of the structure is and how much it would cost to repair.

Ms Bell said that a shared understanding was reached and “it was a very positive meeting”. She said that the priority is to assess the state of the front wall.

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Coun Garry Weatherall asked how vulnerable the building is. Ms Bell said it is being supported by a significant amount of scaffolding to make sure it is safe to use.

She said that the cafe, which reopened a year ago, is currently run as a takeaway as the structural support leaves only limited room inside. The building is also inspected “very regularly”.

Coun Tony Downing said: “I have faith that we all want this to happen and between us, we will make it happen. I don’t think it will be easy but it will happen.”

Coun Karen McGowan said that the big issue is financing the renovation work. Ms Bell replied that it is easier for the groups involved in the partnership to access outside funding for the project than it is for the council, which will support that work in every way that it can.