Shropshire village may get its first shop in 18 years
A Shropshire village could have its first shop for 18 years under a new council plan for volunteers to run the service.
A committee has been set up in Beckbury to run a community shop in the centre of the village.
The Beckbury village shop committee was initially established after the Beckbury Parish Plan in 2013, which identified the need for a shop.
A suitable site has now been found, next to the village hall in Badger Lane, and the plans suggest a pre-fabricated building as the most appropriate for the site.
A planning statement, submitted to Shropshire Council on December 20, states: "The shop will specialise in local produce and will offer a range of essential items to meet the need for convenience shopping within the village.
"It will also provide a focal point for the community, providing a central meeting point and the opportunity for social interaction.
"The village community relies primarily on private transport although there is a daily bus service to local villages.
"With current fuel costs and the lack of public transport, the shop will help to reduce costs and will reduce the carbon footprint of those who use it."
The village only has about 139 properties, and a population of less than 400, according to the 2011 census.
The last shop and post office in the village closed down in 1998 as the business was not considered to be economically viable.
A survey was conducted by the Community Shop Committee in 2015, to see what the demand would be.
It received 79 responses from Beckbury residents with six per cent saying they would use the shop every day, 43 per cent several times a week, 22 per cent at least once a week, while 26 per cent of respondents said they would be prepared to help out in the shop.
Plans for the building say it would be equipped with refrigeration and chilling equipment and limited kitchen facilities, but sufficient to enable the sale of hot drinks and snacks to customers.
The shop would be managed by the committee and manned on a rota basis, staffed by volunteers. It is hoped that it would open from 8am to 12.30pm then 2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 12pm on a Saturday and 9.30am to 12pm on a Sunday.
Work on preparing for the plans began in August when a pre-application enquiry was submitted for advice.
In September, a response was received which said the plans adhered to local and national planning policy.
