Plan for village shop to re-open in pub car park

WHITLEY Stores could re-open in the Pear Tree Inn’s car park, as Melksham Without Parish Council (MWPC) voted to submit a pre-planning application to Wiltshire Council, on behalf of Shaw & Whitley Community Hub.

Nathan Hall and Alison Candlin from Shaw & Whitley Community Hub attended the MWPC planning meeting on 17th April and asked the parish council for their help to submit a pre-application for a new village store, which would be wooden-clad, to be installed on the edge of the Pear Tree Inn’s car park.

Nathan said, “Successful community shops usually have the support of the parish councils. We also share the same aims as the parish council in that we want to improve access and sustainability of life in the area. Our previous shop, Whitley Stores, closed down at the end of last year but it was successful and we proved the concept works.”

Previously, a café and shop called The Toast Office, on Top Lane, the business closed down during one of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Local villagers got together to open a community store in October 2021, which was owned and run by volunteers. Due to rising costs, the community store was closed in December 2022, but villagers vowed to find a new venue.

The group has now made the new proposal in partnership with the Pear Tree Inn’s landlord. As the pub is a listed building, a draft heritage assessment has already been undertaken and the group is currently awaiting pre-application advice from Wiltshire Council, ensuring any issues with the plans are highlighted before the application is submitted.

Nathan said, “The shop is a nice connection with the local pub. It’s a good location for the villages, easy to access and it just makes sense. You often see pubs and shops together in villages.”

MWPC’s planning committee welcomed the proposal and also welcomed the possibility of making use of solar energy on the site.