Tea room plan unveiled for Waterfoot library (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Tea room plan unveiled for Waterfoot library

8:00pm Saturday 22nd October 2011 in Waterfoot By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

A FORMER library could be given a new lease of life as part of a series of moves to regenerate a Rossendale township.

Tracy Harrison wants to convert the former council offices at Bridge End House, in Waterfoot, into tea rooms and a fancy goods shop.

Town hall bosses shut the Bacup Road building in May 2006 and briefly hired it out to finance firm UKML Ltd in 2009.

But Ms Harrison, who runs the Crystal Rocks Emporium, further along Bacup Road, wants to breathe new life into the landmark.

Her planning agent Steven Hartley said: The proposal is to use the building as a tea and coffee shop and to incorporate a shop selling goods such as handbags, clothes and fancy goods which might be attractive to members of the public.”

The aim would be to create a tea shop akin to Betty’s, in Harrogate, which is a firm favourite with tourists.

“This venture has the potential to put Waterfoot ‘on the map’”, added Mr Hartley, who believes the venture can be taken forward with a minor alteration to the side of the former library.

The scheme is also being compared in scope to the successful Chocolate Cafe, at the corner of Carr Street and Bolton Street in Ramsbottom.

Work is currently going to refurbish the former Royal Hotel, opposite Bridge End House, which has been closed for more than three years.

And the former Railway pub, further along Bacup Road, is also being remodelled as premises for Walker Aquatics, which will eventually relocate there from its current base at the corner of Burnley Road East.

The proposals are set to be ruled upon later in the year by the borough council’s development control committee.