Plans for new Grove Street café bar

magnet

A planning application has been submitted to create a new café bar on Grove Street, in the unit previously occupied by the Magnet kitchen showroom which closed in August 2014.

The application is for a change of use from an A1 class (retail) to an A3 class (café/bistro) and associated alterations which include installing a new shopfront at ground floor level with sliding/folding windows to allow the unit to be opened up during warm weather, a new sign, external terrace, installation of an extraction system and new WC's, a kitchen and associated storage.

The proposal is for the conversion of an existing retail unit into Unico Lounge which will occupy the ground and first floors of 68, Grove Street.

The opening hours would be 8am to 12.30am Thursday to Saturday and 8am – 11.30pm Sunday to Wednesday.

The planning application can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning references 15/1356M. The deadline for submitting comments is 14th April 2015 and a decision is expected by 14th May.

Tags:
Unico Lounge
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Craig Wilkinson
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 7:24 am
Hopefuly, given the date , this is an April Fool. The last thing Wilmslow needs is another coffee bar!
David Pearce
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 10:50 am
Is this an April 1st joke! - In no particular order the town has been Costa’d, Nero’d, Cook & Baker’d, Risen, Starbucked, Delice’d, Konak’d et al to death over recent years!

As it is April 1st isn’t it maybe time some enterprising person applied to occupy available empty premises instead with something a bit different like an up a high class pawn shop or maybe be an upmarket Poundland and call it GuineaLand instead!
Simon Worthington
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 3:43 pm
This unit is so large (they built on it's own carpark years ago) that few in their right mind would go near it. The only reason Magnet stayed so long was lease related and no one wanted to move in. As another (just about) retail unit disappears in favour of yet another place to buy a 15p cup of coffee for a couple of quid and the prospect of more tables and chairs on the highway (yes it is) blocking the way for the few punters still to venture up Grove Street one wonders at our council. If you have any doubts about who's interests they have at heart take a look at the new eyesore on Grove Avenue. Thanks council. Voting slips at the ready.
Steph Walsh
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 4:09 pm
It is not an April Fool's joke, the planning application is available on CE's own website.
Jon Armstrong
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 4:43 pm
How terrible it will be for an empty unit to be filled. Worse, people in Wilmslow might even get jobs there and money might come into and be spent in the town. But what disgusts me most is I might have to look at people sitting in the sunshine enjoying their drinks and cake when I want to walk down Grove Street admiring the all empty shops.

There we go, with that sort of comment I'll fit right in here.
Warren Holt
Wednesday 1st April 2015 at 5:46 pm
Well said Jon Armstrong.
It is obviously not just a coffee shop from the name and might be just what Wilmslow needs especially if The Laundrette opens as well in the old Sports bar. Look outside Wilmslow to places like Burton Road Didsbury and Beech Road Chorlton plus Alderley, they are thriving from these type of venues. What is wrong with keeping people in the town rather than them spending their money elsewhere plus creating jobs as well
Let's be honest when was the last time anybody struggled to get up Grove street at anytime!
Dave Cash
Thursday 2nd April 2015 at 3:27 am
No one wants to admire empty shops in the main shopping area of Wilmslow, or other areas, but CEC do need a Policy for what retail outlets contribute to a varied High St and surrounding roads, rather than just the current fad for a 'café society'. As a bistro I assume this development will require a licence to sell alcohol, so it will compete with not just coffee shops, but the various bars and pubs for custom.
How many jobs will be created and for how long? Probably less than for an Aldi or Pound Shop and more welcome by some shoppers than another over-priced cup of coffee or glass of wine.
Alistair Yates
Thursday 2nd April 2015 at 10:08 am
Why would this be an April fools? Lost on me I'm afraid.

I agree with Jon and Warren, it's got to be better than an empty unit.

For anyone that's interested, the company that have made the application is called Loungers and they own a load of coffee shops / bars across the country (http://thelounges.co.uk/).
Craig Fell
Thursday 2nd April 2015 at 10:59 am
Great news !
That fact that this is more of a bar/cafe than a coffee shop, means it will offer another option for the evening so we don't all have to go elsewhere to fulfil social needs. With The Old Dancer also now being on Grove St it will finally make the high street somewhere that is not desolate after 6pm. I say let's have more, create a demand and the people will come! Unfortunately there are currently better nearby alternatives as mentioned by Warren above ^^.
Jon Armstrong
Thursday 2nd April 2015 at 12:55 pm
Dave, why would the council need a policy as to what type of business was allowed?

There are plenty of empty units in Wilmslow. Clearly none of the types of business you want to come into the town see it as a viable or desirable proposition as they are hardly tripping over each other in the rush to fill these shops. So why turn away someone who thinks they can come in and make a go of it, and who, unlike so many naysayers, are actually prepared to invest money in making it happen?

The perceived value for money of their product is neither here nor there. The markup on coffee and cake is no more outrageous than many of the other "luxury" retailers in the town and nobody is trying to drive them out.
Simon Worthington
Thursday 2nd April 2015 at 3:26 pm
You will soon need to be a hurdler to get down Grove Street. I can assure you that the mark up on coffee is, at several hundred percent minimum, much more than "luxury" goods but then luxury is a matter of opinion. Coffe shops are not retailers hence the need to apply for planning changes.