Popular Saddleworth ice cream cafe to open branch in heritage centre

The plans by Grandpa Greenes are to extend the cafe at the Park Bridge Heritage Centre in Ashton

A popular Saddleworth ice cream café is to open a new venue in a Tameside heritage centre to bring it ‘back to life’.

Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream Ltd had applied to Tameside council to extend Park Bridge Heritage Centre in Ashton to create a bigger café and an outdoor dining area.

Park Bridge, which sits at the edge of the boroughs of Tameside and Oldham, was once the site of a bustling ironworks, but following its demolition in the 1970s is now a popular spot for walkers and dog owners.

Under the plans the café would be extended by the construction of a new ‘sympathetic’ single storey building, which the applicant says would be ‘quality modern architecture’.

According to the planning documents, the ice cream business is aiming to have space for up to 58 customers in the former stables, and it would be open from 8am to 6pm seven days a week.

The existing visitor centre car park would be used for patrons and staff.

The café had previously been used by The Stables Café which stopped trading there in 2021.

According to the planning documents, the council had been ‘actively seeking’ a new tenant for the café to ‘regenerate’ the heritage centre.

“The idea is to provide high quality food and drink to visitors of the heritage centre and wider Park Bridge area and to put the area back on the map,” the supporting report states.

“The proposed extension will bring the Heritage Centre café back into use and ensures a viable future for visitors of Park Bridge to enjoy.

“Not only does the proposal result in a building being brought back into use it also provides local employment opportunities.”

The applicant said the development would create 12 full time jobs and 15 part-time jobs.

There had been five objections and three messages of support lodged with the application.

It was granted approval by the local authority, with a number of conditions.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.