Icon or eyesore? Bridport’s Cafe Royal to be auctioned

Bridport's Cafe Royal building is to be sold as part of a series of privatisations by West Dorset District Council.

BRIDPORT’S acclaimed Café Royal is to be auctioned next month, as West Dorset District Council embarks on a plan to raise £1.5 million.

The Café Royal is opposite Bridport bus station. Its big-windowed American diner style has, over the years, attracted many admirers.

The Cafe Royal, Bridport: "Magnificent."

Wired magazine correspondent Russell Davies visited in 2009. On his blog, he wrote: “This is a magnificent place. Just when I thought I’d lost my mojo we spend a couple of days in Dorset and bump into this joyous establishment. It’s so fine it’s featured in a lovely series of paintings. I haven’t been this excited about a cafe in ages.”

The paintings that Mr Davies refers to are by Bridport artist Kit Glaisyer; five of which can be seen by clicking on this link.

Mr Glaisyer sees the Café Royal as iconic: “the most interesting building” in Bridport.

It doesn’t look quite the same as it used to because last year the proprietress TJ painted it a glorious sunny-sided eggy yellow outside, and refurbished some of the features inside.

It was then thought locally that West Dorset District Council was going to go ahead and do some work on the buildings – including the café – in Tannery Road.

Instead, on February 25, the buildings will be auctioned in Sherborne by Symonds and Sampson. Details will appear here on Symonds and Sampson’s website. The district council hopes to raise £270,000.

TJ declined to comment, but she is understood to feel “a little cheesed”.

The Café Royal and the taxi office are what’s known as ‘sitting tenants’: when the Tannery Road buildings are sold, their leases will move to be with the new owner.

But it’s unclear exactly what could happen in the future.

It’s possible the buildings could be demolished and the site redeveloped.

“Beyond economic repair”: West Dorset District Council’s view

Empty: One of the Tannery Road shop units near Bridport bus station.

Steve Woollard, West Dorset District Council’s technical services manager, said: “The council’s Executive Committee approved the sale of the district council’s property in Tannery Road, Bridport, on an ‘open market’ basis in April 2005 as part of the proposal to provide 100 per cent affordable housing on the council land at Flaxhayes.

“The sale would have proceeded as part of the redevelopment of the South West Quadrant, but when the planning application for this scheme failed it was decided to proceed with an independent sale for Tannery Road site.

"Beyond economic repair": cracked frontage along Tannery Road, Bridport.

“The Tannery Road buildings are beyond economic repair and largely empty, and an eyesore.

“Re-development of the site will provide a new building which will greatly improve the character of the area.

“The re-development will be controlled through the council’s planning policies which were developed in consultation with local community and examined through the Local Plan enquiry in 2006.

“We have contacted the existing tenants, and also informed local councillors and the town council about the situation.

“It’s now proposed that Symonds and Sampson will auction the property on 25 February.

“Any re-development by future owners will need to go through the normal planning process, and meet the council’s usual planning and affordable housing requirements. At which time people will also have an opportunity to comment on the proposals.”