A BUILDING which houses an 'emergency' community shop is up for sale.

The villagers of Brent Knoll lost their local shop in March, just months after their Post Office shut down.

But within 10 days an ‘emergency’ community shop was up and running just as the country was in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic - keeping food and other vital supplies coming into the village.

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Brent Knoll Community Shop has now been trading successfully seven days a week ever since.

And the team of volunteers are planning to make the shop a permanent feature in the village.

The group have received a wealth of help and support from the owner of the building, but now they owner has put her home - and the shop - up for sale.

“We understand, entirely, why the shop-owner has had to put her home and the shop on the market, and potentially ended our former aim of making this our permanent home”, said Dr Niall Moore, chair of the Brent Knoll Community Shop Steering Group.

“But the shop owner has confirmed that we can continue to operate from that premises for the foreseeable future, while we are working – hand-in-glove – with the Brent Knoll Parish Council to produce a solution that will also enable us to have extra space to accommodate a restored Post Office service and a village café facility.

“We remain committed to delivering what our public consultation revealed. There was strong support for a community shop with extended opening hours; the restoration of Post Office services; and the delivery of a village café facility.”

The volunteers who run the shop have applied for a drinks licence, as part of the plan to expand their operations and opening hours.

They have also secured their own bank account, meaning the are able to apply for grants to help keep the shop open and Covid secure.