Relief for cafe opened in former toilet block

Carly Booth and her husband bought the toilet block as 50th birthday gift

A cafe opened in a former public toilet has been approved by councillors.

Gallows Grub opened in July after converting the facilities at the Gallows Inn Playing Fields in Ilkeston shut in 2022 due to council budget cuts.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Erewash Borough Council - which sold the site to the new owners in May - approved a retrospective planning application, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Robert Mee said: "This is an exciting use of a lovely building and while I have used it before, I will use it again."

Councillor Harrison Broadhurst added: "I hope you will use it in a different capacity."

New concrete was pumped inside the building

The toilets off Nottingham Road were in use for three decades before closing.

New owners Ellis and Carly Booth, who live in Ilkeston, bought the site for Mrs Booth as a 50th birthday present and a "leap of faith" from her Derbyshire County Council job.

The pair had renovated the building including removing 34 tonnes of rubble, blocking up entrances and installing new roofing.

The cafe and takeaway opened for business on 8 July.

The planning permission will allow outdoor seating and new windows to be installed.