By Charlotte Hall, Local Democracy Reporting Service
A DIGGLE ice cream parlour and café will get a makeover after planning permission was granted.
The current Grandpa Greene’s, off Ward Lane, will be fully demolished and replaced with a new building.
Plans for the destination at the side of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal have been given the go ahead by Oldham Council’s planning department.
Because the Diggle site has expanded over time, it now consists of an ‘inefficient’ maze of outbuildings and corridors, which makes it difficult for staff to operate.
Built on a ‘slither of land surrounded by green belt’, the new one-storey building will be no bigger than the current footprint of the cafe but have a slightly higher pitched roof of four-metres.
Documents supporting the application state: “The café is a popular and successful addition to the Saddleworth tourist attractions.
“The way the café has evolved has resulted in an amalgamation of structures that are interconnected with corridors.
“The proposal is to completely redevelop the buildings to form a single portal framed structure that has been purposefully designed inside to become more efficient for the kitchen as well as provide a better dining experience for customers.”
The improved building will feature 14 additional covers for customers, bringing the total to 68.
The planning application received one objection from the public and one from Saddleworth Parish Council, which was worried about the impact on green belt land. But as the cafe would be replacing an existing building and would improve the outlook on the existing site, borough planners deemed the proposal acceptable.
The toilets, which are accessible to the public, will be refurbished and retained, as will the cafe’s 24 parking spaces.
The proposal was granted on condition of the inclusion of two bat boxes in the new design.
Owners of Grandpa Greene’s, which also has a branch in Uppermill, will now have three years in which to start the development.
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