Work can begin on a £100,000 project to develop a cafe providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities after planning permission was granted for the scheme.

The community group behind the venture can now transform the former Glovers Garage site in Bridge Lane, Ilkley , after planners at Bradford Council backed an application submitted in May.

The new project will succeed the cafe’s predecessor, the Oasis Cafe, which provided training and work experience to adults with learning disabilities for more than ten years, originally set up in a venture between Bradford College and Churches Together in Ilkley.

Since last autumn the cafe, based at one of All Saints Parish Church’s buildings, has been looking for new premises, allowing it to operate full-time.

So far £60,000 has been secured for the project, which aims to create a ‘social hub’ for the community and provide training and work experience for adults with learning disabilities.

“We were blown away by the number of fans the cafe has already,’ said Karen Goodman, one of the venture’s backers. “This is an important development in our work to build on the best of the much-loved Oasis Cafe and set up a new venture that can provide more opportunities for everyone.”

With £40,000 still needed to secure the refurbishment of the car showroom and pay for running costs for the first three years, fundraising for the scheme is being stepped up.

Outgoing chairman of the cafe project, Baptist Church Minister Stuart Jenkins, said: “People really do want to see this happen in Ilkley.”

As part of the planning approval, the Council says the new cafe cannot be open between 10pm and 8am.