Last December we reported that Aidy’s Barbers along Wilford Road had ceased trading – bringing to an end decades of gents’ hairdressing on Dutton’s Hill.
At the time, 18a Wilford Road was up for sale by online auction following an application by Chris Chawner to change the use of the ground floor to Class E(b) food and drink for a café/restaurant and to create a two bedroomed apartment on the first floor.* Up until now it has been a three bedroomed house plus a ground floor barbers – although the house was once the showroom for Chris’s South Notts Windows & Conservatories business.
The building is listed and in Ruddington’s ‘Conservation Area‘ so, consequently, no significant changes to its external appearance were proposed. Despite the historic site lacking parking of its own, and no on-street parking being allowed outside during peak traffic periods, no objections to the proposals were received from the public, local residents, local Councillors nor the other consultees.
Kirsty Catlow, of Nottinghamshire County Council Highways, commented: “The site has no associated off-street parking provision. It is however noted that it has a village centre location, with good public transport links. Parking restrictions are also in place to control on-street parking where necessary. As such, any parking required by the site would be unlikely to result in a highway safety problem.”
The café/restaurant proposals were approved (with conditions) last month by Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) and redevelopment of the site is now underway. Original planning documents indicate the reworked premises will be able to seat 42 people – with the servery being from the existing kitchen, as shown on the plan below. The main entrance will be via the former barbershop, and the tables in the dining area will extend into the existing conservatory, looking out onto the garden. There will be wheelchair access to the rear, with a disabled toilet provided.
To create minimum disturbance to adjacent properties, RBC’s planning permission specifies that the new hospitality business can only trade Monday to Saturday from 0800 to 1700 hours – with no working permitted on Sundays or Bank Holidays. It also states that: “There shall be no outdoor seating or dining in association with the café/restaurant.”
With so many other popular café type outlets already available to residents and visitors in Ruddington village centre, only time will tell whether this new venue will prove a similar success for its owners*.
*UPDATE 19th JUNE 2022:
RUDDINGTON.info has been contacted by the building’s former owners to advise us that the plans detailed above to change the ground floor of the site into a café/restaurant have now changed.
Kyle Glenn Chawner reveals: “It was the original plan for myself and my father to convert it – hence the planning permission – however we sold the property on the 25th March. The new developer is now converting it into 3 individual dwellings with 1 of them containing a built in shop front at the old barbershop with living accommodation at the rear and upstairs.”
Only time will tell what new use the refurbished historic shop front will now be put to. Perhaps it will become another barbershop?!
