Alterations to enable the conversion of the former bank/office-premises on the corner of King Street and Milford Road in Duffield into a new daytime café and evening event space have now been approved by Amber Valley Borough Council.

Planning permission has now been granted for a new accessible entrance, which will enable the conversion of the former bank building into a café over the next few months.

The Duffield Bank Café will provide an attractive and welcoming space to people in Duffield during the daytime on Tuesdays to Saturdays.

After it has closed for the day, the café space and other areas in the premises will be available for a wide range of activities during the evenings, with the building equipped for flexible use as an event-space.

The new café will create two full-time jobs (a Chef and a Manager).

There will also be various volunteer opportunities to support the running of the café, both in the kitchen and with front-of-house; working alongside the full-time staff.

The project is being implemented and financed by members of the congregation of St Alkmund’s Parish Church in Duffield.

Revd Dr James Hughes, Vicar of St Alkmund’s said: “Our vision as a church is to have a presence in the village where we can reach out to, and make connections with, our friends and neighbours in the village, and provide a base for both our church ministries and for other activities. We’re really looking forward to developing this exciting project over the next few months and welcoming people to the café in the near future”.

image provided by James Boon Architects.