Tom Gordon MP urges support for Open Letter on Oatlands cafe

Tom Gordon, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, is inviting people to add their name to an open letter to M&S, attracting hundreds of names already.

The closure concerns the café at the Oatlands Food Hall at the western side of Harrogate along the A61, whose closure M&S recently announced, though it has yet to set a time frame for this.

The closure is planned as part of a wider revamp of the store on Leeds Road.

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Several years ago, M&S faced opposition to earlier plans to close the café, which led to a revamp being changed to accommodate a smaller café.

The Liberal Democrat MP says many constituents have contacted him about the planned closure of the café, which he says “acts as an essential, accessible facility for older or disabled people.”

Calling for people to put their name to his letter, he added: “Originally a café was part of the planning conditions for this site so we’re writing to M&S directly so see if they’ll reconsider the closure.”

“This is just any M&S cafe, it’s a great accessible space for elderly and disabled people to socialise and enjoy.”

The M&S in Oatlands, Harrogate (Image: Pic supplied)

In his letter, Mr  Gordon argues the café is “a much-loved and well-used communal hub for local residents, and whose loss would represent a significant blow to the community.”

By letting them rest for a cuppa, he says it means many elderly can shop there independently, the café also acts as a community hub and reduces social isolation. Few cafes in the area are as accessible and it is not feasible for many to go to the M&S café in Cambridge Street.

The MP added: “We welcome M&S’s commitment to expanding the availability of fresh produce within the Foodhall. However, we would respectfully suggest that this should not come at the expense of a space that provides such clear social value and community benefit. The café also enhances the overall customer experience, encouraging longer and more frequent visits to the store.

“There is also a practical concern that, should the café close, some customers may choose to visit alternative nearby cafés while continuing to use the M&S car park, which may not align with the intended outcomes of the proposed changes.”

When M&S announced the closure earlier this month, the retailer told the Press: “We know many of our customers want to be able to shop a wider range of our delicious M&S Food products. That’s why, after reviewing our Harrogate Oatlands foodhall, we have some exciting new changes planned.

“We are re-purposing our café space to offer more fresh produce from our Select Farm partners and deliver an improved in-store bakery – we will share more details in the coming weeks. 

“All café colleagues will transfer to other roles across the foodhall and while we understand this will be disappointing news for some customers, our team will continue working hard to serve them in-store. Customers’ nearest M&S café will be at our nearby Cambridge Street store in Harrogate town centre.”

An M&S spokesperson also confirmed there were no plans to ‘repurpose’ space at any of its York stores.

To sign the letter, go to: https://www.tomgordon.org.uk/save-ms-cafe