Green light for toilet conversion in Uppermill

A NEW café and public toilet are coming to Uppermill after the go-ahead was granted by Oldham Council’s planning committee.

The application sought permission for the conversion of the vacant public toilet block at King George V Playing Fields, which has been closed since 2018, to a café with a green roof, single storey glazed extension, and one public toilet.

The plans have divided opinion since they were unveiled earlier this year, with 37 comments in support, 122 objections plus a 1,300-signature petition.

The applicant Rick Scholes, managing director of Grandpa Greene’s, submitted amendments to the initial proposals to address some concerns, including removing all decking, external bin store reduced in size and smaller footprint to reduce loss of open space so the café is 52m2 in floor area to seat up to 44 people.

Mark Jones, speaking on behalf of the applicant, also highlighted public benefits, including the provision for 10 full and five part-time jobs.

The planning committee voted for approval, subject to restrictions including opening and delivery times, at their August meeting.

The café will be open from 9am to 7pm on Monday to Sunday including Bank Holidays, with the public toilet open during the same hours. Deliveries are to be made between 8am-9am from the Wade Row entrance.

But concerns were still raised about the impact on the conservation area and that there will only be one public toilet, which will be managed by the applicant along with the internal customer toilet.

One of the objectors speaking at the planning meeting said: “King George V Playing Fields is a space which acts as a welcome green area against Uppermill High Street.

“But having this café in the park will damage the conservation area for ever. It will affect a lot of the community who use this field. Their freedom will be curtailed.

“And there is only one public toilet and that isn’t a fair trade-off. There should be three – male, female and disabled accessible.”

She added that the bin store will be only six metres away from window of one of the nearby houses, and that bright security lighting would be a concern.

Councillor Graham Sheldon, who lived in Uppermill for 17 years and ran the Little Shop with a community toilet on the High Street, echoed some of her concerns.

“The park is used by many local people and visitors to the area,” he said.

“The toilets were closed due to misuse and cost savings. Councillors met to decide a plan of action, and asked businesses to look after the upkeep and open them on a daily basis.

“This plan is a larger scale than I would have imagined but the overall footprint has now been reduced and the decking removed.

“Several concerns such as the bin storage will be addressed over time as the business settles in.

“Several 100 people go to the park on a fine day, and sometimes 1000s for an organised event. But many people do not use the park because there are no facilities there.

“One toilet is simply inadequate and was not the intention of the council. There were seven so to reduce that to one is just not acceptable.

“I am sure the business will be a success and will provide many jobs in the future but we need to make sure we get the facilities we intended to provide for the public.”

Cllr Max Woodvine commented: “The toilets have been closed for years so people are accustomed to not using a public toilet there.

“Surely if you add a second toilet it would increase the footprint which would be counterproductive.

“I believe the park will be better for the investment and the whole village will benefit. The café will deter antisocial behaviour.

“If we do not support this, then something a lot worse could come along.”

Cllr Hazel Gloster asked if there could be restrictions on future planning expansion but officers said there is no reason in planning terms and any expansion would be subject to another application being approved.

Two trees – a rowan and cherry tree considered to be low quality and value – will be lost to the development but will be replaced by six trees.

Fields in Trust, a charity that supports parks and green spaces, gave their support providing there was “a written undertaking from Oldham Council that the rent from the lease will be reinvested into maintenance and improvements to the remainder of the recreation ground.”

And the council’s report on the planning portal concluded: “It is considered that the change of use of the building together with a single storey extension and new roof would amount to ‘less than substantial’ harm to the character and appearance of the Uppermill Conservation Area.

“However, as a whole, the proposals will contribute to the park and wider economy of the village by offering a public toilet facility, the reuse of a public vacant building, and design improvements to a designated heritage asset.”