Plans backed for Salvation Army community café in Woolbrook

Proposals to open a community café in Woolbrook have been supported by town councillors.

The application for Woolbrook News would see a dividing wall erected in the existing newsagents, allowing half of the shop space to be used by the Salvation Army.

The charity is proposing to use the premises to offer ‘simple, wholesome food’ from the café, which it hopes will be open to the public six-days-a-week.

Woolbrook News would continue to operate as normal.

The plans were considered by Sidmouth Town Council on Wednesday last week, with members voicing their support for the idea.

Councillor Ann Liverton said: “I think it’s ideal. It keeps Woolbrook very vibrant.

“I hope they manage to make it work and people support them.

“The Salvation Army have got very good ideas of what they want to do, it’s a general community service with things like breakfast clubs for children, and after school clubs.”

Cllr Dawn Manely added: “We don’t have a café in Woolbrook so I think it would be a good addition for our little community there.

“I think it is absolutely wonderful that the Salvation Army has found themselves a premises in Sidmouth.”

The charity says the café would offer cookery workshops, aimed at teaching people how to eat healthily on a budget.

It has also applied for permission to use a flat above the newsagents as space for life skills training, education and Christian worship.

The fate of the application will be decided by East Devon District Council.