A café with toilets has opened in Corporation Park after years of residents calling for accessible public facilities.

The Pavilion in Corporation Park, formerly St Mary's Nursery, has been refurbished into a café equipped with brand new toilet facilities, and opened on Tuesday (December 5).

The cafe is open seven days a week from 7.30am to 6pm during the winter months, with plans to extend operating hours into the evenings during the summer.

For years, the Corporation Park Supporters Group (CPSG) has championed the cause for publicly accessible toilets, to make the space inclusive for all residents.

The announcement which was shared on Facebook was met with excitement from the community and praised by CPSG chair, Nicola Beswick.

Nicola said: “Corporation Park Supporters Group have been advocating for publicly accessible toilets in Corporation Park for many years as they are essential for the park to be accessible and inclusive to all.

“So many groups, the elderly, disabled, families with young children have been put off coming to the park because of the lack of facilities.

“Having a cafe in the park is icing on the cake with a coffee on the side. The toilet facilities are managed by the cafe so will be clean and safe.

“We hope it will be enjoyed by existing park goers and attract more visitors, especially those who have been put off by the lack of facilities in the past.

“The Pavilion looks great now the original high ceilings have been opened up. The hugely positive response to our Facebook post on the news shows how much the community feel it is a really positive step.

“We hope we can share more good news stories about the park’s facilities in the near future.”

The café has a fenced outdoor spot for dogs, where well-behaved ones are able to go inside the café during quieter periods.

Residents eagerly shared their joy over the welcomed addition to the park. +

One mum commented: “Brill. I bring my children, who are disabled, a lot and we have to leave for the lack of toilets.

"I’m sure they will be able to spend a lot more time now they have the cafe and facilities available.”

Another woman added: “Great news. This makes the park way more family friendly!”