Three park cafes subject to disposal notice by BCP Council

BCP Council is looking to grant leases for periods of up to 25 years for the facilities at parks or open spaces in Boscombe and Redhill.

To press ahead with this the council has to complete a legal requirement of issuing disposal notices, which are currently out for consultation.

The local authority has said the cafés will "remain available for public use" but they would be operated by external organisations.

Redhill Pavilion Café, currently known as Fox Café; Boscombe Gardens Café and mini golf, currently known as Squirrel Café; and Churchill Gardens Café, currently known as Joy Café, are the three sites in question.

Fox Café and Squirrel Café are both currently operated by BCP Council as parts of the Parks Cafés family, with money spent at the cafes used to improve the parks. They are currently closed for winter, but the council has said they will reopen in spring.

Joy Café was established in 2015 as a pop-up café before becoming permanent two years later.

It is operated by Coastline Vineyard Church, and it moved into the Churchill Gardens Hub building in July 2022, having previously been in another building in the park, which is set for demolition.

A BCP Council spokesperson said: "The disposal notices relating to the park cafés at Redhill Pavilion, Boscombe Gardens and Churchill Gardens are a legal requirement that allow BCP Council to consider alternative means of operating them, outside of our own services.

"Each park location will be considered for future operation, whether that requires an open tender or utilising existing partnerships or alternative models of operation.

"We will keep local stakeholders and members of the public updated in relation to the future operation of each cafe."

Anyone who wants to contact the council regarding the disposal ahead of awarding leases has until a deadline of Wednesday, March 29.

Coastline Vineyard Church was approached for comment.