A SHOP in Herefordshire says it is taking a sensible approach as it plans to use shipping containers to expand.

Hopes of Longtown, a shop in the Golden Valley village, opened in 2001 and is currently made up of a single-storey village shop, post office, farm shop and a number of external outbuildings.

But as part of a new plan, it has applied to Herefordshire Council for planning permission to extend the business using 11 shipping container units.

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Those containers will house a kitchen, café, office and storage spaces related to the existing shop and post office, with a timber-framed outdoor seating café area, a design and access statement submitted with plans to the council said.

Owen Hicks Architecture, working for Hopes of Longtown, said that the business was already feeling the pressure from a growing local population.

Consultants said a push for a "substantial increase in housing and other planned developments", as per the Longtown Neighbourhood Development plan, would "undoubtedly" add to the need for expansion of essential local services.

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This, consultants said, was already being felt by Hopes of Longtown, founded more than 20 years ago by Christine Hope.

She said that work had been underway for a couple of years on drawing up an affordable plan.

She said a sensible approach would be needed as it's a "small fry business", but she was excited that the application had now gone in.

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If planners give the scheme the green light, the existing stone and corrugated iron outbuildings would be replaced with 11 prefabricated shipping container units measuring around 2.5 metres by six metres each.

The majority of the proposed shipping container units would occupy the same footprint as the existing outbuildings, it said.

Consultants said: "Hopes was born out of wanting to make a difference to a rural community and opportunity this is a development to the next level. Award-winning Hopes of Longtown has a reputation for championing local producers of all sizes.

"In everything Hopes of Longtown does, a key consideration is continued development of the community and reducing its impact on the environment."

Comments on application 223847 can be made until January 15.