The Village Shop Project - Overview

The Community Shop and Café is being constructed on a site adjacent to the existing Millennium Hall which offers convenient access to all residents.  The site is owned by the Seavington Playing Field Association which operates both playing field and Millenium Hall. The Trustess are supporting the project and the land involved has been leased to the Shop Association.

The internal layout will allow the Café to be securely separated from the shop to allow use by our young people, small clubs and societies when it is not open. Both shop and Café will be light and airy to provide an attractive environment. Design is by a local architect who has been instructed to be sympathetic to the local environment.

The building is being constructed so as to be as environmentally friendly as possible with a low carbon footprint. Current expectations are that heating will be provided by a heat pump with the possibility of some electricity being generated by photo-voltaic roof tiles.

The Seavington Community Shop and Services Association Ltd is registered with the Financial Services Authority as an Industrial Provident Society and is being run on model rules produced by the Village Retail Services Association.

The cost of the building has been reduced to £168,000 which has been raised from local fund-raising events, grants and loans. Work on the new building started on January 11th 2010 with fitting out following and completion of the café as further funds are raised.

The project has the full support of the Somerset County Council, South Somerset District Council and the Seavington Parish Council who, have all made significant grants towards the costs.