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  • "How are the Friends Group any more empowered to say what the council are doing than the True Friends?

    The general view of people who have spoken to me is that its a stitch up by the Council.

    Obviously the cost of the extra rent is going to come out of local people's pockets, as Go Ape will have to get that money back.

    So a well liked independent cafe is taken over by a chain and it means a more expensive service in the park for park users who were happy with the existing offer. Who is winning here??"
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Trent Park café lease decision taken

3:00pm Tuesday 10th April 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By David Hardiman , Reporter

Rosa and Dennis Marzocchi were told to leave the café at the end of March. Rosa and Dennis Marzocchi were told to leave the café at the end of March.

An adventure playground company is believed to have won a controversial bid to take over a café in Trent Park despite local opposition.

The Enfield Independent understands Go Ape, which runs the nearby tree-top adventure park that opened last month, has won the right to run the café following a tender process run by Enfield Council. The company said last week it would run the facility under the name Forest Café if its bid is successful.

Campaign group True Friends of Trent Park handed a petition signed by 2,400 people to the council last month calling for couple Rosa and Dennis Marzocchi, who had run the building for 30 years, to be left in charge.

The couple were told to leave the premises when their lease ran out at the end of March.

Taking the decision, council officers said the winning bidder “provided the highest rent offered that was supported by a robust business case that demonstrated the ability to deliver the rent offered”.

The company also offered “substantial capital investment” to refurbish the interior and catering equipment.

The Enfield Independent understands Go Ape offered approximately £35,000 a year to run the café, beating more than 20 bidders for the lease.

Enfield Council said it could not confirm if Go Ape had won the bid as the decision was still eligible to be challenged by councilors until April 16. The company said it was waiting for a final decision.

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