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.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
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!
There we go, with that sort of comment I'll fit right in here.
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!
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.
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/).
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 ^^.
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.