A “BEAUTIFUL” 111-year-old building in Flixton is to be turned into a family café after getting the thumbs up from the town hall – but lack of parking divided councillors.

An application to transform a “fine, old Co-op building” and former electrical repair store in Brook Road into a café, complete with children’s play area and function room, went before Trafford’s planning chiefs on Thursday.

The scheme originally included a bar, with full use of the back yard for customers until 11pm, but these plans were scrapped due to its predominantly residential location.

The café and play area would be permitted to open from 8am-7pm Monday through Saturday and 9am-5pm on a Sunday.

The café would be in the main building, with the children’s play area in an outbuilding, and first-floor function room in the former martial arts studio.

There would be no dedicated parking provision for the site. In the planning report, the Local Highway Authority said it was concerned that the lack of off-street parking provision is “likely to result in undue disturbance and inconvenience to local residents”.

However, it didn’t deem the impact “severe” as it said many customers will be from the immediate surrounding area and not travelling by car.

Neighbours lodged 18 objections against the application, in contrast to three letters of support.

Resident Simon Goodhall said that the café would have a huge impact on on-street parking and traffic flow.

He requested that a parking scheme be implemented for residents and the hours and opening hours reduced.

Flixton ward member Cllr Paul Lally spoke in favour of the application.

He said that whilst he understood the traffic concerns he didn’t believe the redevelopment would have a significant detrimental effect on an existing problem.

He added that businesses shouldn’t be stifled by reduced opening hours, as this hadn’t been imposed on the nearby fish and chip shop and pub, and urged objectors to see the “greater good”.

Opening debate, Cllr James Wright moved to approve the application.

“There is a serious lack of somewhere to buy a cup of coffee,” he said.

“I think it is needed in the area.”

Many councillors said they would like to see the “fantastic” and “beautiful” building brought back to its former glory.

Cllr Dolores O’Sullivan said she sympathised with the residents, as the road is already “chock-a-block” when the fish and chip shop opened. “I know we can all get uptight about parking, which is understandable,” said Cllr Philip Gratrix.

“If it does become a problem and a residents’ scheme and limited waiting is implemented, then so be it. But it is not the time or place to start trying to plan highways.”

Cllr Daniel Bunting pointed out the building’s proximity with Trafford General and said ambulances would struggle to get down the road as it is.

He said bringing more people to the already congested street, at the height of trade in early evening, would create the “perfect storm” and “make a street barely coping one that will fail to cope”.

But Cllr John Smith said something was going to happen with the building and busy streets are just a sign of the times.

“It is just the way we live nowadays and I don’t think you can put a block on a commercial building that has many benefits,” he said.

Cllr Nathan Evans agreed.

“It’s a beautiful retail building which has changed beyond recognition and it is not going to go back to where it was. It has to be used and this is ideal,” he said.

Chairman Vivienne Ward said the narrow road is already blighted by congestion and parking issues and this would add fuel to the fire.

“Hand on heart, I believe this is not the right development for the building,” she said.

“It would have too much of an impact on residents living around it.”

A motion to refuse the application failed to gain sufficient support and subsequently, councillors voted to approve the officer’s recommendation to grant.