Campaigners hoping to provide a new village store and rural affordable homes in Bradfield Southend will be consulting with residents this weekend to assess public support for a £1m project.

The village store – also a post office – has been run from a portakabin since opening in July 2005, but now a small band of committed locals has enlisted the help of Sovereign Housing Association to build a permanent shop, and some much-needed affordable housing in the process.

Sovereign has drawn up plans to demolish a derelict detached house next to the village hall, and replace it with the new store, plus three one bedroom apartments, and a pair of two-bedroom apartments. Four of the homes are intended for local people to part-buy part-rent, with one to be sold privately to pay for the building of the shop.

Bradfield Southend Village Stores Management Committee spokesperson Julie Noakes said: “Our community shop, currently the only one in Berkshire, has proved very popular with local people. However, we can only stay where we are until 2010, and have been searching long and hard to find permanent premises.

So, we’re grateful to Sovereign for giving us the opportunity of having what I’m sure will be a superb, modern building. Thanks should also go the Village Hall Committee for agreeing that we can continue to use the car park for customer parking.”

Sovereign Projects Director Heather Bowman added: “This is part of our new approach to help create stronger communities, which benefits not only our residents, but everyone in the area.

“We’ve had huge interest already in the shared ownership apartments, which will be some of the most environmentally friendly we’ve ever built. Of course we have yet to secure planning consent, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

If the project gets off the ground, Sovereign would rent the shop to the committee at a peppercorn rent, and the store committee would begin the process of raising funds, through grants and donations to fit it out as a shop and post office.

The plans will be unveiled for public inspection and feedback at the village hall, Southend Road, on Saturday 24 November 2007, from 9.30 am to 11.00 am, where Sovereign representatives will be able to answer planning questions and housing queries. The store committee will also be on hand to explain how the shop might be fitted out and will be asking for new stock ideas and services that might be offered.

If feedback is positive, Sovereign will then proceed with the planning application.

Published 13 November 2007
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