CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after their five-year fight to build a community shop, post office and café near Ledbury was given the green light.

Planning permission has been granted to build the Much Marcle Community Shop on land just off the A449, near the back entrance to the Walwyn Arms pub.

The relieved group behind the bid said the shop will offer Much Marcle, Ledbury and beyond a community hub for everyone.

The well-loved Much Marcle Village Shop and Post Office closed back in 2019 after the owner retired.

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However, since it was considered a community facility in the Much Marcle Neighbourhood Development Plan, efforts began to find a suitable replacement.

Those wishing to bring the shop back to life were met with the immediate challenge that the original building was no longer available.

A planning application for the new building was submitted last October.

Rachel Wilson, speaking on behalf of the steering group behind the bid, told the Reporter: "I am very relieved we have finally got planning permission, we have been working on this for such a long time.

"We want to express our gratitude to all of their 260 shareholders for their patience, and for all the support they have given over the past difficult year.

"This will mean a huge amount for the village and beyond as it will be somewhere where people can get everything they need.

"It will also be a community hub where people can just come in and have a chat if they are feeling lonely."

Once open, the shop will sell basic supplies for weekly shops as well as local produce, lottery tickets, newspapers and a range of artisan products.

There will also be a fully functioning post office, while the café will sell homemade food such as cakes and sandwiches.

Now that planning permission has been granted, the steering group behind the bid will be able to apply for larger amounts of grant funding.

Although they have over £100,000 in the bank, fundraisers haven’t stopped working, recently raising over £500 at an afternoon tea in the village.

To help raise the cash needed to build and run the shop, Mrs Wilson has asked people to become shareholders or to join the 200 club, the group's own lottery.

Visit www.muchmarcleshop.org/200-club for more information.