New Hope For Belper Tea Rooms

7th June 20163rd June 2019 Nailed

New plans are about to be unveiled for returning a much-needed tearooms to Belper’s River Gardens.

The Belper Tearooms Association was created in 2015, out of a desperate need by individuals and organisations in the town to finally see a positive end to the long running saga, which has seen the present building closed, then derelict, for decades.

A new non-profit making Community Interest Company (CIC), called Belper Community Enterprise, was created in May to handle the project and raise the funding needed. The company has been recognised by the land-owner, Amber Valley Borough Council, which has agreed to work with the CIC to support delivery of the tea rooms project.

On Thursday 16 June, at 7.30pm in the Number 28 Community Hall on Belper Market Place, the Association’s proposals will be shown to the public for the first time at a short presentation, after which people will be able to talk informally with representatives of the Tea Rooms Association, including the architect, about the plans.

Trevor Griffin, who chairs the Friends of Belper River Gardens and is a member of the Tea Rooms Association and a director of the CIC, will be one of the people heading the presentation.

He said:

“A lot of people have been working very hard for the best part of two years to reach this point, and we hope the public will like what we have planned. The new tea rooms are very much in a style which is sympathetic to what George Herbert Strutt wanted from the original building, so they won’t look out of place in this Listed Edwardian Water Garden. Some very clever design has ensured that there will be more seating than the original, which failed to cope with numbers even on its opening day in 1906, but also a centre space which can be adapted for multiple community uses outside opening hours, such as for meetings or talks , or as a classroom. It’s a very exciting time, which has been a long time coming, and we hope the public will support us in securing the funding and getting the building in place before the end of 2017.”

As space is limited at Number 28, the plans will be available for the public to see on line on the new Tea Rooms Association website, www.belpertearooms.co.uk, which launches the following day, and on information boards surrounding the current derelict building in the River Gardens, which will also be erected on the Friday.

Anyone wanting to feed back about the proposals can email their comments to info@belpertearooms.co.uk, or visit the Belper Tearooms Association Facebook Page, which will also be launching on June 17.

by Belper Tearooms Association

One thought on “New Hope For Belper Tea Rooms”

Jan Thornton

10th June 2016 at 9:37 pm

A working tea rooms will be the icing on the cake for a very beautiful venue. When completed I’m sure that the revenue realised from teas, cakes, etc will be significant. I can’t wait for it all to begin and hope it happens as soon as possible. Until folk have
somewhere to enjoy refreshments, shelter from inclement weather – and use the toilets that MUST be included – the whole River Gardens will not be complete. This is such good news!