A York café which feeds people struggling with isolation at Christmas has lodged a bid to stay open.
An application to extend the temporary planning permission of Hull Road Park Café for a further five years has been submitted to City of York Council.
Choose 2, the organisation which has run the venue for more than eight years, stated it had become an integral part of the park and Tang Hall community.
Submission of the plans comes after the council agreed in March to lease the modular building, which houses the café, to Choose 2.
The social enterprise, which works with disabled children and adults, has run a café at the site since 2017.
Its application stated it had provided a café to local visitors and opportunities in catering and hospitality.
Plans stated it had diversified since the coronavirus pandemic and now produced more than 2,000 meals for vulnerable adults.
More than 70 three-course Christmas meals were served to people suffering from social isolation in the last two years.
The café also has a permanent under fives table with children’s books and activities.
It also works with local groups and organisations such as the Tang Hall Community Centre, youth clubs and childminders.
Drop-in space for local councillors has also been provided and it has hosted food and activity programmes during the school holidays.
A winter warm space with free drinks and pay-as-you-feel meals was also offered there.
Plans stated Choose 2 wished to continue running the facility so it could provide local people with affordable food and drink to customers and work and training for its clients.
The application stated: “The aim is to enable clients to reach their full potential, Hull Road Park Café offers a vast range of learning opportunities in catering and hospitality whilst providing café facilities to park users.
“Introducing a community café into the park has provided a valued additional destination point for local people.
“This is alongside the Christmas meals that has become a highly effective way of overcoming social isolation in the area by offering affordable meals in a community setting that brings people together in the festive season.”
As for the future, the documents state: “If further planning permission is granted, Hull Road Ward Committee would like to examine the potential for a permanent building and exploring partnership and funding opportunities to realise this potential.”