THE future of the village shop in Norton-Sub-Hamdon has been secured, helped by a grant from South Somerset Council of £9,436 to the Norton Community Land Trust (CLT) which has leased the shop premises and will be largely run by local volunteers.
The post office and shop has provided a vital local service for many years supporting Norton itself and the nearby villages of Chiselborough and West Chinnock.
The retirement of the owner led to a local review of the future provision of a village shop and post office serving Norton and other nearby villages.
Liz Maunder, Secretary to the CLT said: "We are very grateful to SSDC, not only for the award of the grant which was an enormous boost to the project but also for the support of officers and councillors, in particular Cllr Sylvia Seal who opened the shop for us".
Councillor Sylvia Seal, local District Councillor for Norton added: “I am so proud of the achievements by local residents and the Community Land Trust and the future looks bright for this valuable village enterprise.
"The CLT researched other community managed shops, prepared a sound business plan and kept the community involved at all stages.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here