Time warp railway cafe in Bristol discovers hitch which threatens its future

A popular cafe with cyclists and walkers in Bristol has unveiled plans to expand - while revealing it needs permanent planning permission to continue its operation.

Warmley Waiting Room is located in the former waiting room of Warmley Railway Station, which closed in 1960 when passenger services on the Mangotsfield and Bath branch line ceased.

The cafe was opened in the 1980s and has become a well-known stop off for people cycling and walking along the old railway line, now known as the Bristol to Bath Railway Path.

It currently has a cosy wooden cabin and covered outdoor seating - but there are now plans to replace two store rooms in the garden with a new building to provide improved storage, a preparation kitchen and more customer seating.

While preparing the plans for submission to South Gloucestershire Council, the cafe also discovered that the original planning permission for the operation was temporary - and so will need to apply for permission for the existing cafe as well as the expansion.

Being on Green Belt land, the cafe, posting on Facebook, said it needed support from the public to show its value in the hope the plans will be approved.

In a statement, the cafe said: “Our popularity has meant that we have outgrown our current small workspace, so the new single storey, timber clad building will enable us to continue to serve our customers for many years to come and will be similar in appearance and style to our summer house.

“Whilst applying we have discovered that the original planning permission for the cafe, in the early 1980s, was only granted as temporary. We now have to apply for planning permission for the existing cafe and garden plus the new build.

“Because we are in a Green Belt we need to demonstrate a level of public support for the scheme for the planners to consider our application.”

Already, some support has come in from Siston Parish Council and seven members of the public. Marcia Darby wrote: “The present owner has made this an amazing place for cake and coffee all winds and weather, for old and young persons. Lovely place to catch up also to take five whilst on a bike ride.”

As well as having a cafe, the platform features a replica of Dr Who’s blue Tardis. There is also a well-preserved signal box. To view the planing application, visit https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/search-planning-applications and use the reference number P23/01418/F.