Hive Bakehouse wants Westhoughton café in derelict stable block with bread and pastries like they used to be

Hive Bakehouse have requested planning permission to upgrade the property on Market Street, Westhoughton to become a café bar and coffee shop.

Hive Bakehouse have been operating for around five years and already have an outlet on Westhoughton Industrial Estate, James Street. The company is founded on the principle that ‘the most basic of food, bread, should be free from additives and preservatives’.

The Hive Bakehouse website, adds: “Instead the basic ingredients of flour, yeast, salt, water and olive oil should sing and create a better product with afocus on how bread use to be.”

The property being planned for a café is the old stable block to the rear of the listed building at 110 Market Street, Westhoughton. It is set back 20 metres from the street with a small courtyard to the front.

Documents in support of the plans published by Bolton council, said: “The building has laid derelict for over 50 years and is in a poor state of repair.“It is the intention to upgrade the property to become a café bar and coffee shop

“The property from the outside will appear as it currently does as there are no alterations to the front except for the rebuilding of the front porch. “Internally there is to be a sympathetic renovation to bring the building up to current building regulation standards without ruining its appearance.”

Products listed by Hive Bakehouse include almond pain au chocolat with 55 layers, Parisian vanilla flan, pistachio cruffin, rosemary focaccia and seeded sourdough.

The plans added that access to the property for all people including the emergency services will be via the courtyard off Market Street only as there is no rear entrance to the property.

Toilet facilities will also be at ground floor level and there will be a separate disabled toilet.

Two staff parking spaces will be provided within the courtyard.

Related properties to the stable block, Sunny Bank and South View on Market Street were built in 1853 in red brick laid in a Flemish bond witha moulded eaves and a hipped slate roof.

They are Grade II listed and were built for Peter Ditchfield, a cotton manufacturer.

The plans will be decided by Bolton Council in the coming weeks.