A 40-seat cafe serving English breakfasts and brunch, open 7am to 5pm, is planned next to the Wallingford Road Co-op. Comments close 17 November.

An empty shop unit next to the Co-op on Wallingford Road, off Popley Way in north Basingstoke, could become a cafe serving English breakfasts and brunch.

The planning application, 26/02134/FUL, was validated on 14 October. Comments can be made until Tuesday 17 November.

What is planned

The supporting statement, written by the applicant’s designers, sets out the plan for Unit 2:

  • a cafe and restaurant with about 40 covers
  • English breakfast, breakfast and brunch dishes, plus light bistro-style meals
  • opening hours of 7am to 5pm
  • a commercial kitchen, with an extractor venting through a new 400mm grille on the front of the building
  • customer toilets, including an accessible toilet

The unit is about 95 square metres, on the ground floor of a block with flats above. The statement says the development has 20 parking spaces for customers and that nothing changes outside apart from the grille. A separate application from the same applicant, 26/02163/ADV, asks for a fascia sign with downlights and fold-out awnings over the shop front.

A councillor’s backing

The ward councillor for Sherborne St John and Rooksdown, Cllr Simon Minas-Bound, wrote to the council in support on 27 October. In his comment he said bringing the vacant unit into use “would be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood”.

He also asked for conditions to protect the people living above and nearby. Those would cover opening hours, deliveries, bins, and the upkeep of the extractor, odour control and noise.

What it means for you

  • If you live nearby, this would be a daytime cafe within walking distance, with the hours given in the application as 7am to 5pm.
  • If you live in the flats above or next door, the extraction design and odour control documents are on the application page, and you can ask for conditions as the councillor has.
  • To comment, use the “Make a comment” option on the application page or email planning.comments@basingstoke.gov.uk quoting 26/02134/FUL, by 17 November.

The council’s target date for a decision is 9 December. More applications are on our Basingstoke planning applications page.