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Thousands urge council to reopen storm-damaged park café

The café at Grovelands Park between Winchmore Hill and Southgate has been closed since January after being damaged by a falling tree, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Grovelands Park Cafe was damaged by a fallen tree in January (credit Rachel Naughton)

Residents and councillors have appealed to Enfield Council to save a park café that’s been closed for nearly a year after suffering storm damage.

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition launched via Change.org by local resident and café regular Susan Carboni, appealing to the council as well as the owners of Grovelands Park Cafe to take “necessary measures” to restore the “community hub”.

During a storm last January a tree fell on the café’s roof, forcing the business to shut down.

Locals have said a dispute over “insurance coverage” has delayed repairs and the owners, a private family, have still been paying the rent despite the business being closed. 

Susan said the situation had caused an emotional and financial toll on the owners and said: “We cannot underestimate the weight of this issue. Grovelands Park Cafe’s absence affects the regular rhythms of our community life.

“With this petition we urge the council to take immediate action and guarantee the reconstruction of Grovelands Park Cafe by October.”

The issue has also caused concern among two Winchmore Hill ward councillors, who have criticised the council’s management of the park café.

Conservative councillors Lee Chamberlain and Maria Alexandrou, in a joint statement, said: “The short version is we are deeply unsatisfied with the way the café has been treated by officers, residents have been without this service and the toilets since January.

“After months of pushing, it took two site meetings with senior officers, ourselves, and [fellow Tory councillor] Edward Smith to get the council to put a tarp on the roof to make it watertight. Water has been left to pour in for months.

“Even that took two attempts [to get the tarp right] and not have more damage to roof tiles.”

Cllr Chamberlain said he had difficulty obtaining a “structural report” on the building but, once seeing it, believed the building, despite the damage and its age, could be restored.

Both councillors said: “As it stands officers seem intent on finding the building unfit, which would then mean they don’t have to explain why the ongoing water damage was allowed and is a means to sell it off.”

Susan said since the café was currently vacant it had attracted vandals who have caused more damage, which the owners have had to pay for.

In response Chinelo Anyanwu, cabinet member for environment, culture and public spaces, said the council hoped to find a “mutually acceptable way forward”.

Cllr Anyanwu said: “We are committed to ensuring our parks and park amenities are maintained at a good standard.

“We have taken a number of steps to rectify the situation with the roof at the Grovelands Park Caféteria, including covering the building with tarpaulin twice to prevent further water ingress. 

“For some months now council services have been spending considerable time and resources in investigating the overall condition of the caféteria building and are working closely with the tenants on this in the hope of finding a mutually agreeable way forward.” 

The owners of Grovelands Park Cafe declined to comment.


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