It's been a busy old time in Bridport...I'm currently devoted to my "Save the Cafe Royal" campaign, with our iconic Cafe due to go to auction this coming Friday 26 Feb. However, we're hoping to pursuade the West Dorset District Council to postpone the auction, and allow the local community to make them the first offer...
Community Group Offers to Buy the Cafe Royal
A consortium of local people from Bridport is hoping to save the Cafe Royal for the benefit of the community. The group has come together with the express desire to buy, repair and refurbish the Cafe Royal, so that it can continue to serve the town and also grow to become an iconic destination for travelers to the South West.
Representatives from the consortium are now in negotiations with the West Dorset District Council in the hope that they will be allowed to make an offer for the properties before they go to auction on 26 February. They believe this is their last chance to safeguard the future of the Cafe Royal for the community.
The consortium includes several antiques dealers from the Vintage Market on the St Michael's Trading Estate. They are keen to reinstate the period & retro furnishings in the Cafe and believe it could become a really popular destination, attracting hundreds visitors to the town from across the country - just as the Ace Cafe, in North London attracts thousands of bikers.
Kit Glaisyer, who started the campaign to save the Cafe Royal says "this iconic building should really have been offered to the local community before going to auction. I really hope the WDDC decides to postpone the auction and give local people the first option to buy the Cafe Royal, so that it can continue to serve both visitors and local people. I'm particularly concerned that if it goes to auction this much-loved local asset could be sold to an unsympathetic developer who would just knock it down to build more houses. Instead, we should take this opportunity to let the community refurbish the Cafe into a brilliant retro venue, which would soon become a huge asset to the town."
He goes on to say "we've had an amazing public response to our campaign, and what's really exciting is that we now have a group of local people eager to buy the Cafe, who appreciate it as a unique and valuable local asset, and want to make it into the iconic destination it deserves to become."
To join our Save the Cafe Royal Facebook Campaign, click
To give you an idea of what's possible with a refurbished Cafe Royal, I've attached some photos of the Ace Cafe in North London, that attracts thousands of bikers and vintage car enthusiasts throughout the year...
The Ace Cafe is a popular destination for bikers from across the UK
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