A GROUP of villagers has launched a plan to save Brent Knoll Village Shop from closure which could see it turned into a community-run facility.

Fourteen Brent Knoll parishioners, including three members of Brent Knoll Parish Council, met earlier this month to hear about the possible loss of the village shop and to discuss potential solutions including running it as a community-run facility.

The meeting, in the Jubilee Room of the Brent Knoll Village Hall, was arranged by John Mathews, who had used the Brent Knoll “NextDoor” social media platform to raise awareness that the shop could close.

After getting a strong response online Mr Mathews invited people who had responded to the meeting.

Such was the strong response that he invited those who had responded to attend this initial get-together.

Caroline Chennells, owner of Brent Knoll Village Shop, spoke at the meeting and said she will no choice but to close the shop if no solution is found.

After a lengthy discussion parishioners agreed that keeping the shop and the Post Office open is a 'major priority' for the village and agreed to start discussions with the Plunkett Foundation, a charity which advises and helps rural communities to create and run Community Shops

Mr Mathews said: "It was agreed to open discussions with the Plunkett Foundation.

"This has now begun and will see the first of their recommendations enacted – a community consultation project, using a detailed questionnaire and a more formal, well publicised, public meeting to measure public support for a community shop.

"Caroline underlined her willingness to help, including offers to consult the Post Office and to reduce any major up-front cost commitment by offering an initial rental lease for a trial year.

"This meeting was hastily arranged through 'NextDoor' and many villagers have confirmed that they would have attended if they had known about it, or had had more notice.

“This meeting was just a ‘toe-in-the-water’ but it has demonstrated that we should pursue the possibility of re-opening our Post Office and keeping our shop by engaging the community."

John said the next step will be to ask villagers to take part in a survey questionnaire about their views on the future of the Post Office and shop, including other activities or services that they would like to see.