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26
May
Harrogate MP urges M&S to reconsider café closure
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has written to Marks & Spencer urging it not to close its café at Oatlands.
The Stray Ferret broke the news this month that the retailer plans to shut the in-store café at the Simply Food site on Leeds Road as part of a second store refurbishment in four years.
There was uproar in 2021 when M&S announced plans to get rid of the café as part of the previous new fitout of the site.
The company eventually U-turned after a petition called for it to be saved, although the new café is much smaller than the old one.
The Stray Ferret understands the café will close by the end of the year, but no date has been announced.
Now Liberal Democrat Mr Gordon has written an open letter to M&S urging it to think again or explore alternative seating arrangements on account of the café being a “valued third space” and “communal hub”, particularly for older and disabled people.
The site has a step-free access, disabled parking bays and accessible toilets and changing facilities.
The letter, signed by over 300 residents over the weekend on Mr Gordon’s website, says:
We welcome M&S’ commitment to expanding the availability of fresh produce within the Foodhall. However, we would respectfully suggest that this should not come at the expense of a space that provides such clear social value and community benefit. The café also enhances the overall customer experience, encouraging longer and more frequent visits to the store.
There is also a practical concern that, should the café close, some customers may choose to visit alternative nearby cafés while continuing to use the M&S car park, which may not align with the intended outcomes of the proposed changes.
We would therefore kindly ask that you reconsider the proposed closure or explore whether there may be a way to retain café or seating provision that continues to meet the evident needs of the local community.
Mr Gordon said:
“This isn't just any M&S cafe; it’s a great accessible space for elderly and disabled people to socialise and enjoy.
“If you’re 90 years old and carrying heavy shopping on foot, going to an alternative café isn’t really an option.
“It’s important that we support small businesses to become more accessible, but a lot of them are in space-limited, old buildings and getting rid of one of the few accessible venues in the meantime won’t solve that.”
An M&S spokesperson previously said:
After reviewing our Harrogate Oatlands foodhall, we have some exciting new changes planned. We are re-purposing our café space to offer more fresh produce from our Select Farm partners and deliver an improved in-store bakery - we will share more details in the coming weeks.
All café colleagues will transfer to other roles across the foodhall and while we understand this will be disappointing news for some customers, our team will continue working hard to serve them in-store. Customers' nearest M&S café will be at our nearby Cambridge Street store in Harrogate town centre.
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