Blockley residents joyful after community shop plan is approved (From Cotswold Journal)

Blockley residents joyful after community shop plan is approved

9:00am Thursday 10th November 2011 in News By Freya Leng

BLOCKLEY residents were “thrilled” after plans to create a new community shop and cafe were approved by Cotswold District Council.

About 60 supporters turned out in support of the planning application for a new community shop, which was discussed yesterday at a planning meeting in Cirencester.

The application has been in the making for almost a year by the Blockley Co-operative Association (BCA), which runs the village shop and café.

Pam Merritt, a member of the BCA, was delighted with the news. She said: “We are extremely happy. It’s a victory for common sense. We are thrilled to bits. Everybody is cheering.

“We have got funding applications drafted but we haven’t been able to put in for them until now.

“There’s a really big lottery one coming up. That’s the next target. We are going to work on that immediately.”

The application to build new premises was first submitted in May this year in order to secure the community shop for the village when the current shop’s lease expires in 2013.

CDC received 611 letters, emails and online comments backing the proposal and only seven objections.

The application has the written support of 25 village clubs and organisations including the parish council, the heritage society, the church and the Women’s Institute.

More than 56 per cent of Blockley ward voters signed a petition in favour of the plan and a total of 800 signatures have been recorded online and in the shop.

Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP and Lord Colwyn, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, who has a home in the parish, also urged the planning committee to vote in favour of the plan.

Alan Thornton, member of the BCA management committee said: “Our plan could be a test case for localism.

“The shop and café provide far more than groceries, newspapers and a part-time post office.

“They bring people together and offer all manner of support to the whole community.

The new building will mean that we can continue this role even more effectively.”