THE village shop in West Buckland finally looks set to close after a new planning application to convert it into a home.

Owner Julie Bartram first applied for permission to shut the Dyers Close shop and convert it to a three-bedroom house last April.

But she withdrew the plans after Deane council planning officers asked for more evidence that the premises had been marketed for business use before the loss of an important rural enterprise could be supported.

Miss Bartram bought the shop nearly three years ago, after surveying people in local villages and workplaces to assess potential demand.

But she told Deane planners: “It became apparent by the end of the first year trading that local residents were not willing to change shopping habits and had begun using the store for newspapers, milk and the odd non-expensive items.”

Now, she has asked for planning consent to turn the ground-floor shop premises into a one-bedroom flat, while keeping an existing upstairs flat.

For the full story, see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.