Dear Editor
As a regular shopper in Nantwich town centre, I feel compelled to express my deep concern about the decision by Marks & Spencer to close the café at its Beam Street Foodhall — and, crucially, to remove the adjacent customer toilets at the same time.
While I understand the company’s explanation that it wishes to repurpose the café space to expand its core food offering and improve commercial performance, the wider impact on the town appears to have been overlooked.
The toilets, tied to the café area, will disappear along with it.
Although there is no legal requirement for retailers to provide customer toilets, their presence has long been a valued and practical facility for many of us.
For older residents, families with young children, and those with medical needs, access to clean and convenient toilets is not a luxury – it is essential.
The café itself has been more than just a place to buy coffee; it has served as a welcoming social hub since the store opened in April 2013.
Being close to the library, Civic Centre, medical centre and bus station, it has offered a warm, accessible meeting place for many, particularly older people who meet regularly for a chat and companionship.
I also understand that bus drivers from the adjacent Nantwich bus station have relied on these facilities. Their loss will be felt beyond just shoppers.
It is disappointing to think that customers may now be forced to pay 20p to use public toilets elsewhere, at the same time as Cheshire East Council is set to increase car parking charges from April.
Taken together, these additional costs risk discouraging people from visiting the town centre altogether.
Meanwhile, out-of-town options are becoming increasingly attractive.
A new Costa Coffee has opened inside Sainsbury’s on Middlewich Road, offering free parking and customer toilets, alongside a wide range of goods and Argos. Nearby, B&M also provides free parking.
It is hard not to feel that profit is being prioritised over people. Cafés may be staff-intensive and less profitable per square foot than retail space, but they provide something far more valuable to a community – connection, comfort and convenience. Many loyal customers are genuinely devastated by this decision.
The café has always seemed busy, well-used and appreciated.
I sincerely hope that M&S will reconsider the removal of the toilet facilities at the very least, or explore alternative arrangements.
Nantwich town centre needs to remain welcoming and accessible if it is to compete and thrive.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan White
Wistaston
Will someone tell me why M &S should provide a public convenience ?
Exactly… it’s a commercial decision and frankly the long-term direction for Nantwich is fairly bleak: these reports in the News about shops closing and more people shopping elsewhere tend to support the conclusion that the attention of the local authority – presently Cheshire East but in future will be an even bigger and less responsive organisation – is elsewhere.
Depressingly, but inevitably, the trend for shop closures will only accelerate.
Bus drivers using M&S cafe I guess without making a purchase; the cafe is not overly busy everyday, it seems M&S are climb all if not most of their cafes and will reuse the space to offer more food which is what is required. m&S is a small store and with the growing population focus should be offering residents more options than Sainsbury, Aldi and Morrisons ( which is a store in dire need to a revamp ) . There are lots of coffee cafes in Nantwich many independents , M&S cafe will be positive news for the independents
A good point well made,the towns provision of toilets is terrible, and if I have to pay to use the council ones they are usually filthy
Good bye to M&S…it may survive the café closure but, it won’t survive the closure of the toilets. So many people have to use them before, during or after shopping!