The Clissold Park Users Group met on Saturday 14 January. This was the Group's first meeting in the beautifully restored Clissold House.
A great deal of the meeting was dedicated to discussing users' views about the House and the new cafe. The cafe officially open on 3 January and has been extremely popular, serving over 5,000 people in its first 6 days.
The cafe is run by Company of Cooks, who have a five year contract to provide the catering services in the House. As part of its contract, Company of Cooks is required to monitor feedback and keep its services under constant review. This is particularly true in the first few weeks of operation; when everything from price to food is being assessed to make sure it meets the expectations of local community. The menu itself is temporary and feedback is invited.
Some of the comments raised at the User Group meeting were:
A great deal of the meeting was dedicated to discussing users' views about the House and the new cafe. The cafe officially open on 3 January and has been extremely popular, serving over 5,000 people in its first 6 days.
The cafe is run by Company of Cooks, who have a five year contract to provide the catering services in the House. As part of its contract, Company of Cooks is required to monitor feedback and keep its services under constant review. This is particularly true in the first few weeks of operation; when everything from price to food is being assessed to make sure it meets the expectations of local community. The menu itself is temporary and feedback is invited.
Some of the comments raised at the User Group meeting were:
- Affordability - there was a general feeling that the cafe is currently too expensive. It was reported that the price of standard items - such as teas and coffees - were higher than the cafes on Stoke Newington Church Street.
- Accessibility - a number of people raised concerns that the House is not as accessible as it should be for elderly and disabled residents. It was also pointed out that the slope leading up to the House could be dangerous, particularly for mothers with prams, in icy weather. It is our understanding that this is being looked at.
- Young people - a number of people also identified that the cafe is not designed with young people in mind. In particular, the cafe was not seen as inviting to teenagers.
If you have used the cafe and have any comments you would like to raise, please do let us know (daniel.stevens@hackney.gov.uk).
In addition to the House and cafe, the following matters were reported on:
- The problem of flooding in the skate park has now been resolved following recent maintenance work.
- A planning application to install lighting for the tennis courts is being reconsidered and is expected to be submitted by the tennis club shortly. Hackney Council considered that the original application was not in keeping with the Clissold Park Conservation Area.
Room hire and events at Clissold House are managed by GLL. Booking and tour enquiries can be made by contacting GLL.
The next meeting of the Users Group is at 11am on 3 March in Clissold House.
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