Residents of Brent Knoll and East Brent are being asked whether they support the idea of closure-threatened Brent Knoll Village Shop being run by the community.
It comes after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here last month that villagers were considering a bid to save the shop from shutting down permanently.
Right now, Brent Knoll’s village shop is on reduced opening hours, and is likely to close in the coming months. The Post Office has already suspended operations.
An online questionnaire has gone live and is attracting strong levels of response. Also, Brent Knoll Parish Council has agreed to fund the printing and distribution of a paper version of the questionnaire, which seeks to establish whether there is sufficient support for the village shop to be taken on as a community business.
The questionnaires will be distributed door-to-door later this month. Further copies will also be available from the village shop, the village school, and two local pubs.
Completed questionnaires are to be left by the deadline of 7th March in boxes at the shop, the school or local pubs.
“If the results show sufficient support, including a willingness to help as volunteers, as investing ‘members’ and as customers, the project can proceed with help from the Plunkett Foundation, which has already backed 300 village community shops,” says Owen Cullwick, clerk of the council.
Meanwhile, Brent Knoll Parish Council’s latest meeting also agreed grant funding for three charities providing local services. Re-Engage, which arranges regular tea-parties for isolated elderly residents, was awarded £200, while the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Mendip Community Transport were both awarded £100.
