COUNCILLORS have objected to an application to serve alcohol at a new eatery being set up in Uppermill.
Grandpa Greene’s, which operates from Diggle, is currently converting what was a toilet block at King George V Park into a restaurant.
But an application to be allowed to serve alcohol has sparked an angry response.
Rick Scholes, of the firm, has insisted to Oldham Council’s licensing panel on an application: “Alcohol will only be served to diners in the restaurant.
“We will not serve drinks only. We will only serve alcohol with food. We serve alcohol – prosecco – as an option with our afternoon tea. This will be the majority of our alcohol sales.”
But nearby residents and parish and borough councillors have told the authority they do not want the licence to be given.
Frances Heywood told them: “The cumulative impact of the number of alcohol licences in Uppermill is having a negative effect on residents and visitors.
“The disorder that this has caused is impacting on my sense of safety.
“Uppermill is already saturated with licenced premises and is at the very tipping point such businesses, this application only adds to this problem.
“The King George V Playing Field area is a already a family friendly open space that should be protected by a Public Space Protection Order, this would prohibit the consumption of alcohol in the open, thus ensure drinking does not take place on the King George V Playing Field and the surrounding park.
“There is a reality that alcohol served in the ice-cream parlour will be taken into the field at some point, this would have a harmful impact on the children and send out the wrong message to young people. It would be far safer that no alcohol be sold on the premises.”
Colin Taylor simply added: “We don’t want booze in the park.”
Parish councillor Helen Bishop said: “The venue is situated on the playing field, which is regularly used by families and children playing football and other ball games.
“There is a distinct safeguarding issue around adults drinking alcohol within a children’s play area. The chances of these interests clashing are high, and alcohol consumption will only fuel any altercations or interactions that might occur.
“Uppermill already has a significant number of pubs and bars where adults can socialise and drink alcohol.
“The area has also had a problem with drug use associated with the night-time culture. It is not appropriate for that to start to encroach upon the park.”
Saddleworth South’s borough councillors have also expressed their opposition.
In a letter from Cllr Max Woodvine, it states: “We object to this in strong terms.
“It was categorically ruled out in their Planning Application that they would serve/sell alcohol, and the applicant stipulated he would not open beyond 5pm.
“This flies in the face of that and shows he had no intention to stick to what was agreed at that time.
“The park is for recreation, for use by people of all ages and families. The drinking culture in Uppermill is increasing but should be contained on the High Street and not be allowed to extend into the park and playing fields.
“This situation needs managing carefully but under no circumstances should alcohol be allowed to be served in this special space, as we try to stop anti-social behaviour and other such practices.
“Ice cream is one thing, alcohol is quite another.”
This change of use should have never been passed, this tin pot company has ruined Diggle Village, and will do the exact same in Uppermill, The contractors at present think they actually own the park park on grass parked up music playing with hilly billy builders patching the old toilet block, who wants to buy an ice cream at a rip off price made from powder, not even nice, i feel so sorry for wade row should not have been passed, please support the real village cafes who have survived covid certainly not these grandpa greedy, awful set up and disgusting service and food please do not bother, poor village having to put up this , please avoid at all costs support high street uppermill not these tinkers
I can not agree more with what Aidan has said. Grandpa Greens has evolved to an extent that it is bringing in a chav type of crowd to Diggle from far out of the area. The size of the car park demonstrates that people are travelling a distance. It is good to see that a business has grown from a hatch in the fence of someone’s garden to a business providing employment to a good number of people, but it’s just the wrong area. You can not walk down the canal anymore without having to navigate crowds of people. The new premises at the corner of the park is totally the wrong place for this business too. It’s far to close to residential buildings where the residents will have an increase in noise into their lives from noisy people and the clattering of plates and cutlery. How this ever got passed in the first place is a mystery but you can be sure that the owners will keep trying for that alcohol licence and who knows how big the premises will have been allowed to expand in 10 years time.
Well done Helen Bishop
What a load of snobby people. Grandpa Greenes in Diggle gives a lot of pleasure to a lot of children and adults.
Reminds me of the vendetta against Jeremy Clarkson and his restaurant. Suggesting that it’s bringing “chav like” people into the village also suggest there aren’t any chav like people in Diggle. Really? I cannot believe the slander and bigotry in the above replies. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but the vitriolic responses are totally uncalled for.
The above reply is not from a local resident very clear indeed to this, It certainly is not about being snobby it is clear your plain ignorant comments you do not reside in this area and we certainly do not welcome people like you trashing our villages our heritage, saddleworth is desired and is surrounded by villages, it will not be long before it it clearly over run by outside town people with no respect for the countryside and villages, my advise to you is visit elsewhere, you do not have to suffer the rubbish left behind and noise these tin pot openings attract , but hey you do not know the meaning of Heritage , Blackpool maybe more suitable. Have brain please we cannot take any more
Define local; Saddleworth is and always has been part of greater Oldham, a town with around a quarter of a million people living in it and all the Saddleworth villages are within relatively easy walking of central Oldham proper, in fact I often enjoy a pleasant walk through most of those villages, (I particularly enjoy people’s gardens,) and their environs on a Sunday before I come home and cook us both dinner.
In my opinion most of the, “heritage,” is either relatively trivial, (like the Roman Fort which after much careful excavation still consists of a little but a few trenches and not much else,) or is just made up and few people much care about it anyway nor is there any particular reason why we should.
I mean seriously, “Look everyone there’s another former weaver’s cottage and so on; well golly I’ve never seen one of those before.” and so on.
In fact in terms of various, “problems,” Saddleworth is really little if much different to rest of the town and the fiction that all those problems are mainly the result of; blow-ins, outsiders, visitors and various kinds of, “other people,” has always made me laugh.
Saddleworth is and always has been perfectly capable of creating it’s own problems and it’s always had it’s own share of miscreants without constantly blaming everyone else.
Wow! After reading the above comments, especially the one by Paul I’m ashamed to say I live in Saddleworth. Why don’t you try to stop visitors to Dovestones since you obviously don’t like people enjoying this beautiful area we live in. Times change and areas develop, we can’t help that but bashing peoples opinions and local companies who are trying to make a living is unacceptable. Uppermill is a tourist area and always will be. If you don’t like it move somewhere that isn’t. By the way I have a tub of their ice cream in my freezer and there is no powdered milk in there!!!
I’m confused. The article says about “Prosecco” – so is this the famous “Prosecco In The Park” cafe/bar that I read about last year?
No, the nursery plan was attacked by trolls making it out as Prosecco in the park, now it all makes sense to me! It was always GGs focus.
Why can’t it just be a well maintained toilet block? Anyone who has taken their children to that park knows how lacking the area is in public free toilets.
This should never been passed, no parking no protection for nearby properties , i see a terrible outcome, what about granny ice van been coming 20 years plus , should arognant business GG WILL NEVER EVER SUPPORT OR SUPPORT THEM STAY AWAY LET THEN FAIL
Terrible set up in a public park, i cannot why this has been passed poor residents thats all i can say, it is even nice to visit grandpa greenes. ripped off poor service, dirty toilet .
A certain mistake for Uppermill and uppermill Dire if you ask me , looks tacky like diggle outlet which is not even on their own land cowboys and rotters stay away AVOID