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South Kesteven District Council issues repair work notice for ‘eyesore’ building in Grantham, formerly Barkers Cafe




The owners of a historic building have been issued with a notice forcing repair work after numerous complaints of it being an “eyesore”.

The owners of the building in Vine Street, Grantham, which was formerly Barkers Cafe, have been issued a Section 215 notice - also known as an ‘untidy notice’ - by South Kesteven District Council.

The owners, who are not listed on the land registry, are required to carry out a number of repairs to the building by mid-August. If they do not, the council can prosecute for ‘failure to comply with a notice’, or take direct action to make repairs and seek to recover the costs.

The current state of the former Barkers Cafe in Vine Street, Grantham.
The current state of the former Barkers Cafe in Vine Street, Grantham.

Coun Tim Harrison (Ind, Grantham St Wulfram’s), who helped to get the notice issued, said he was “pleased”.

He added: “There have been many complaints from residents and visitors to the area that it is an eyesore on the gateway to our town centre.

“I am deeply saddened by the fact that such a historic and lovely building has been left to this state.

The building is currently sectioned off by fencing.
The building is currently sectioned off by fencing.

“What a lot of people do not understand is that there are many legal hoops to jump through before this order can be issued.

“The officer's diligence and patience seems to have paid off.”

Since Barkers Cafe closed in 2020, the building’s condition has been a topic of conversation for residents, with questions of when it would be repaired.

The former state of the building in Vine Street. Photo: Google
The former state of the building in Vine Street. Photo: Google

In April 2022, a 57-year-old woman was hit by wood and stones that fell from the building, despite barricades placed around the front to stop people walking close to it.

SKDC say the notice will take effect on Friday, May 3, and it requires the owners to do the following:

· Remove the temporary weatherproofing materials - including plastic sheets and battens - from the front of the building.

· Re-mortar all stonework on the front where necessary with a lime-based mortar.

· Repair all timber framework on the front including doors, windows and timber beam above the ground floor framework and paint it to match the existing paintwork. Also, where the timber needs to be replaced, it needs to be the same type of timber.

· Render the building with a lime-based render to restore the front of the building to its original state and paint the render to match the existing paintwork.

· Remove all rubble and building materials from the front, including wood, stone, brick, glass, electrical appliances, insulation, roofing material, fencing, and plastic waste.

The owners, who are unknown, are required to repair the building by mid-August.
The owners, who are unknown, are required to repair the building by mid-August.

The owners have the right to appeal the notice, but they must do this before it takes effect on May 3.



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