Park cafe to reopen after council deal agreed

The former cafe at Congleton Park closed in March, but is expected to reopen this summer under the new operator

A park cafe is set to reopen after a deal between the council and a local leisure operator.

The former cafe at Congleton Park, known as Stock at the Pavilion, in Congleton, Cheshire, closed on 16 March when business owner Lisa Whitehurst decided to step back after 15 years.

She cited economic challenges, as well as wanting to spend more time with family and friends.

It is now expected to reopen over the summer, run by the charity Everybody Health & Leisure, which runs a number of leisure centres in Cheshire East, as well as park cafes in Macclesfield and Crewe.

A spokesperson for the charity said it was "exciting news" and promised further updates to come.

The leisure centre operator also runs cafes under the Taste For Life brand inside leisure centres and at West Park in Macclesfield and Queens Park in Crewe.

"We're very pleased that Everybody Health & Leisure will provide this important service to the community in Congleton and that the cafe will reopen," a spokesperson for the Cheshire East Council said.

The park pavilion was first built in the late 1800s but had become derelict up until 2005, when grant funding meant it was able to be restored.