Expansion bid for Wormelow shop at the heart of the community

Carrot and Wine Stores in Wormelow, between Hereford and Monmouth, had asked Herefordshire Council if it could build extension.

Council planners have now given the bid the go-ahead, with the shop, in Queens Close, set to add the new single-story, flat-roofed building to the rear of the premises.

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Consultants said it would incorporate what is currently outdoor storage accessible from the car park.

The extension, which will mean more storage and retail space, will be faced in brickwork to match the existing building, and its would add 40 square metres to the existing floor area, they said.

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"It is a positive sign of the shop’s success and hence the importance to the community that the predicted need for future expansion has indeed come to pass," the consultants from Tompkins Thomas Planning said.

Gordon Miller and Ella Davies, from Carrot and Wine Stores in Wormelow, dished out free Christmas meals in 2020. Picture: Rob Davies

Much Birch and Llanwarne and District Group parish councils also backed the plan, saying the shop was an important community asset. It had helped locals through the coronavirus pandemic, offering free meals and other incentives to look after its customers.

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Case officer Laura Smith said the proposal was acceptable, adding: "Due to the single-storey nature of the extension and the orientation of the site there are no concerns with regard to neighbouring amenities.

"There are no windows proposed in the extension with double doors proposed to the South elevation which overlooks the car park, this will allow for access for deliveries.

"With the design approach taken and the single-storey nature no overlooking, overbearing or overshadowing is considered to occur."

After the case officer recommended approval, development manager Simon Withers granted planning permission, with conditions.