Cafe full reopening progresses after roof check

The Rose Garden Cafe is in Sheffield's Graves Park

A Sheffield cafe which was saved from demolition has taken a step closer to fully reopening after its roof was found to be safe.

A report into structural issues at The Rose Garden Cafe in Graves Park said scaffolding currently supporting it could be safely removed.

Concerns about the state of the building led to its sudden closure by Sheffield City Council in 2022, but a community campaign prevented it being knocked down.

Members of a council and community partnership said they were "overjoyed" to hear the roof was in a reasonable condition.

Work to support the cafe's front wall to prevent it leaning would still be necessary, the report said, therefore some scaffolding would remain in place, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Following the cafe's closure, it reopened as takeaway-only in December 2022.

Councillors agreeing to renovate the site in late 2023 after the community campaign.

Chris Hallam, the independent chair of the cafe partnership, called the latest report a “significant milestone” and thanked all those involved in the work so far.

The partnership, which comprises representatives from Sheffield City Council, Save the Rose Garden Cafe Campaign and Friends of Graves Park, are set to discuss progress at a meeting of the council’s charity trustee sub-committee on 16 July.

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