Reform UK councillor slams 'outrageous' delays as wait for new Sandall Park Cafe drags on
A new cafe would ‘give Sandall Park a heart’, a local councillor has said.
A Reform UK councillor in Doncaster has slammed ‘outrageous’ delays to a scheme which will see a new cafe and restaurant open in a city park.
The City of Doncaster Council said a deal for a developer to demolish and rebuild Sandall Park Cafe was ‘close to completion’ in August 2026, but local Reform UK councillor Guy Aston said there had been no updates since then.
The Whealey Hills and Intake councillor said: “The Council is responsible for the project delays. They issue statements about how close a decision is, then follow with weeks of complete silence.”
Doncaster Council said work to ‘finalise the long-term development lease’ at Sandall Park Cafe was ongoing and now in ‘advanced stages’.
A spokesperson said: “We appreciate that residents are eager to find out more and want an update as soon as possible, and are working with the developer to agree the last few details.
“Once this has been completed, we will be in a position to reveal more about the plans for the new café.”
Coun Aston, a former leader of Reform UK Doncaster, said a new cafe would ‘give Sandall Park a heart’ and said lawyers were debating terms whilst forgetting ‘the benefits for the local community’.
He added: “The new café will let park visitors buy anything from a coffee to a full meal. It will make the park a ‘day out’ for the whole family.”
A new park will also provide a meeting place for local retirees, park runners and more, Coun Aston said, urging the council and developers to get on with the project and ‘do it for Donny’.
Plans for a new cafe in Sandall Park have been years in the making, first emerging as far back as 2015, but repeated setbacks and delays means park users are still waiting.
The former Sandall Park Cafe closed for good in April 2026, with the old building still standing close to the park boundary on Thorne Road.