No decision on Graves Park park cafe a year after closure

The Rose Garden Cafe in Sheffield's Graves Park was opened in 1927

Campaigners pushing to reopen a park cafe say councillors are "dragging their feet" over its future a year after the venue's sudden closure.

The Rose Garden Cafe, in Graves Park, Sheffield, closed in July 2022 due to structural concerns, with staff and customers given just 15 minutes notice.

The building partially reopened in December but, one year on, no long-term solution has been found.

Sheffield City Council says it is "assessing" five options for the cafe.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the options include carrying out structural repairs in order to reopen the cafe, demolishing the building and doing nothing.

Janet Ridler, deputy chair of the parks committee, said: "As part of assessing the options we will consult widely, including continuing to work with stakeholders such as the Friends of Graves Park (FOGP), Save the Rose Garden Cafe Group, local residents and other groups to find the best possible solution to keep this important community asset open and safe for the public."

Nick Williams, of FOGP, said the council had claimed costs of up to £1.7 million to rebuild the cafe.

He said: "We have funding options that would pay for this rebuild without it costing the taxpayers a penny.

"It just needs the council to get off its backside and say yes. The alternative is demolition and site clearance, which the council has estimated to cost £110,000, and of course leave the park with no cafe."