Brontë toilet block may become ice cream shop

A FORMER public toilet block near the Brontë village of Haworth is among the latest buildings to be sold as “surplus to requirements” by Bradford Council, which says it could make an ideal cafe or ice cream shop.

The stone block, which was only opened regularly during the summer, was closed amid budget cuts in 2015, and efforts to find another organisation to take it over proved unsuccessful. The Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council said it lacked the funds to take on the facility.

The block is in Penistone Hill, one of the most picturesque areas of the district, but it has been targeted by vandals.

It will have a guide price of £10,000 when it goes to auction.

Ward councillor Coun Rebecca Poulson said: “There is no use just having an empty building in such a nice area.”

“I know of at least two local people who are interested in the site. It would be ideal for a cafe or ice cream shop. A use like that would be really positive for the area, as there is not a lot else you could do with this building.”

The council is also selling a park keeper’s lodge in Wibsey, which it describes as a three bedroom property on a 717 sq m plot of land. It has a guide price of £95,000. It said it would be “working with the Friends of Wibsey Park and local ward councillors on plans to reinvest the money in the park”.

The properties, along with a derelict house in the Wyke district that has a guide price of £25,000, will be auctioned by Pugh Properties at Leeds United’s Elland Road ground September 4.