By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to bring a dilapidated café in Newark market square back into use have been revealed.
The council-owned property was most recently the Little Tea Pot café until it closed in 2022.
Both the ground floor commercial premises and flat above it have fallen into disrepair after being left empty, and are now unusable as either a business or home.
Newark and Sherwood District Council is due to approve a full refurbishment for the three-storey building which would bring the prime location back into use.
The two-bed apartment would then be put on the market for around £140,000, more than three times its current value.
The revamped business premises would be put up for rent again, likely bringing in £6,000 for the council per year.
The repairs is the council’s preferred option, as it would “create sustainable economic growth and provide housing within the town centre with the knock-on effect of a more vibrant and active town centre”.
The costs for the work haven’t been disclosed in the council report.
The building is considered a prominent location in the town centre, fronting onto both the Market Place and Queen’s Head Court.
Any work would require planning permission as it is a conservation area.
An alternative option which could be considered is the sale of the entire property in its current condition for £134,000.
However, this could leave the building vacant and in a poor condition for an unknown period of time.
The option to keep the flat as council-owned social housing is also unlikely.
The report says “there is no appetite to have a two-bedroom HRA (Housing Revenue Account) flat within the Market Place due to the challenges and additional housing management implications for a one-off property within this location”.
A decision on the property’s future will be made by Cabinet on Tuesday, March 26.
