Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has launched his campaign to save the M&S Café on at the Oatlands Simply Food store on Leeds Road.
The food retailer announced it was closing the café as part of a nationwide closure programme earlier this month.
The campaign was triggered by multiple elderly residents writing to Tom. They highlighted how vital the space was for them to socialise, particularly as one of the few fully accessible locations in the area.
The Oatlands café is equipped with step-free access, disabled parking bays and accessible toilets and changing facilities.
The MP has launched an open letter to the company, asking that they reconsider the closure of the café or explore alternative seating arrangements on account of it being a “valued third space” and “communal hub”.
The letter has already been signed by over 300 residents over the weekend and is open for additional signatures on Mr Gordon’s website.
Tom said:
This isn’t just any M&S cafe; it’s a great accessible space for elderly and disabled people to socialise and enjoy.
If you’re 90 years old and carrying heavy shopping on foot, going to an alternative café isn’t really an option.
It’s important that we support small businesses to become more accessible, but a lot of them are in space-limited, old buildings and getting rid of one of the few accessible venues in the meantime won’t solve that.
See https://www.tomgordon.org.uk/save-ms-cafe
