Villager to open 'modest' coffee shop in part of their own Tarleton home

A Tarleton resident has been told they can turn part of their home into a coffee shop.

The eatery will operate from a downstairs room of the property on Church Road, in the centre of the village, after being given the go-ahead by West Lancashire Borough Council.

The venture, to be known as Nestled Coffee, will revolve around a menu of drinks and homemade cakes - with the latter taking on a very literal meaning. It is described in planning documents as being “deliberately modest in scale”, with the intention of “serving local residents and passers-by” rather than trying to attract customers from further afield.

To that end, no more than 10 seats will be provided inside the partially converted dwelling, with the same number on a patio area which will be opened when the weather is suitable.

The business will trade between 7am and 5pm on weekdays and 9am and 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Lancashire County Council highways officials initially raised concern over parking - which was echoed in some local objections to the proposal - but said their concerns had been addressed following the submission of revised plans.

Planning documents submitted on behalf of the applicant, Katherine Moen, stressed that the venue was designed to encourage visits on foot, as well as “linked” trips from people already coming into the village for other reasons.

As a result, it was claimed the outlet would generate “a limited number of additional vehicle movements” each day, which could be accommodated by existing unrestricted parking spaces “within very close walking distance of the site”.

The county council did, however, insist on the closure of a side entrance from the dwelling onto the narrow pavement on Church Walk. Customers will instead enter via the existing front gate and follow a defined route that will take them to the coffee shop entrance at the rear.

Amongst the letters of support received by West Lancashire Borough Council in relation to the venture, it was suggested that it would be “a positive community asset, providing a social meeting space and enhancing village life”.

Environmental health officials raised no objection to the blueprint for the site - which will not see a “significant” level of food preparation being carried out - and a report by the district authority’s planning officers concluded that the development would “support a local business, provide a community facility and contribute positively to the vitality of Tarleton village”.