Go Ape Trent Park café set to open (From Enfield Independent)

Go Ape Trent Park café in Enfield set to open

1:14pm Monday 18th June 2012 in News By David Hardiman, Reporter

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

A café in Trent Park controversially handed to an adventure playground company despite huge opposition will open on Friday.

The Forest Café, rebranded after being taken over by Go Ape in April and given a £100,000 refurbishment, will open to park visitors. The company opened its nearby adventure course in March.

A petition by campaign group True Friends of Trent Park, with 3,100 signatures, was handed to Enfield Council in March, calling for couple Rosa and Dennis Marzocchi to remain in charge of the café they had run for 30 years, but was unsuccessful.

It had argued that the family-run business provided a hub for the community and should not be handed to a private firm.

Go Ape was given the café on a 12-year lease, with the council claiming that the £350,000 it would provide in rent represented better “value for money” than more than 20 other bidders for the tender.

The firm’s managing director, Jerome Mayhew, said: “We are delighted to bring the Forest Café to Trent Park and are committed to providing a hub for the local community that is welcoming and enjoyable.

“The café will also provide some additional job opportunities to those local residents passionate about the park and we are confident it will continue to be a fantastic place for visitors to meet.”