Council sets out its plans for Town Hall coffee bar
The Vale of Glamorgan Council is considering introducing a
coffee bar at the refurbished Town Hall in Barry, but the council
is reassuring residents that they will not go ahead with the idea
if it will detract from the building or its facilities.
The Town Hall houses the Council’s new county library and
exhibition space. The coffee bar would be located in the King
Square foyer of the building with seating areas inside and outside
the building. It is hoped the addition of a coffee bar will provide
a welcome new facility in Barry and tempt even more people to the
popular Town Hall development.
The council’s cabinet have agreed that anyone interested in
providing the coffee bar be asked to submit business proposals. At
the corporate resources scrutiny meeting this week the council’s
Leader, Cllr Margaret Alexander, will be explaining to councillors
what sort of coffee bar suppliers are being asked to provide.
A survey of Barry residents showed a lot of support for the idea
of a coffee bar in the Town Hall. However the council is determined
that the coffee bar will add to the appeal of the library and
exhibition space and in no way detract from the facilities or the
building. It is seeking a company to run the coffee bar that can
guarantee to run a discreet operation that will fit into the
stylish surroundings of the exhibition space.
The plan is to have a small counter selling a choice of coffee
and teas, from skinny lattes and Earl Grey to the good
old-fashioned cuppa. The counter would have a sliding screen to
allow it to be closed off when not in use. The council also want to
see stylish tables and chairs, which can be easily stored out of
sight when the coffee bar is not open. The kitchen area would be in
a room away from the exhibition space.
Cllr Alexander said: “ We believe the coffee bar would be
enjoyed by many of our residents. The Vale has some excellent
examples of art sharing space with refreshments! Look at the
Washington Gallery in Penarth and the Gallery restaurant on Broad
Street in Barry. Saying that, we will not go ahead with the coffee
bar unless we are convinced that we have found a supplier that can
operate a coffee bar that is sensitive to the library and the
exhibition space.
“We are looking forward to seeing the space used for many
cultural events over the coming years. We’d like to see a programme
including not only art exhibitions, but also events such as book
readings and music recitals.”