Plans for an ice cream cafe to be introduced at the site of derelict toilets in Saddleworth have been approved, despite the objections of many locals.

The proposal was approved at a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday, August 24.

It means a Grandpa Greene's Luxury Ice Cream parlour will be built at King George V Playing Fields on Wade Row, Uppermill, where the public toilets have been closed since 2018.

The terms of the approval state that the cafe shall only be open between 9am and 7pm Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays, with delivery hours limited from 8am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 8pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

The cafe will provide toilets which the Notice of Approval document said must be open to all members of the public between 9am and 7pm every day.

The document also stated the cafe cannot be opened until bollards have been set up in the area outside the gates on Wade Row so cars do not park and obstruct the pedestrian routes to and from the park.

The proposal had caused a stir amongst locals, with more than 120 objections being submitted by members of the public on the application and a petition against the proposal receiving at least 1,300 signatures.

An application report was submitted before the meeting of the planning committee which recommended the proposal be approved.

It argued that the public benefits the cafe would bring would outweigh any harm to the conservation area.

The main concerns from raised by the public focused on the impact on the conservation area, the loss of space and litter problems.

However, the application report states the benefits would be a return of public toilets, which includes a disabled toilet, the reuse of a public building and the improvement to the design of the building.  

It also stated the Grandpa Greene's cafe would contribute to the park and wider economy of the village.

Grandpa Greene's is an award-winning ice cream parlour which has been trading in Saddleworth since 2005.

The original plans were submitted in March, however amended plans were then published in May.

The amendments included the removal of all decking and external timber cladding to the stonework and brickwork and the reduction in size of the west entrance and the bin store.