Village store to shut for second time in two years

A Post Office counter within Shap Village Store reopened in May last year, following a campaign by local residents

A village shop and local Post Office branch described as a "lifeline" for residents living in a remote part of Cumbria is set to shut for the second time in two years.

The owners of Shap Village Store have announced the shop would be closing on 23 December, after it "became clear that targets are not being met".

In a social media post, the proprietors said footfall had risen since the store reopened following a hiatus in 2023, but limits on which services they are able to offer, and competition from Royal Mail's online site, has led to lost sales.

The Post Office said it was not possible to have "a full range of services" at every branch and they were advertising the postmaster vacancy.

The proprietors said the store was not permitted to hold currency, nor become a hub for services such as Amazon pick-ups, restricting their ability to earn additional money.

"Although the number of customers have increased, sales have not," the managers said, in a notice posted online.

The Post Office said it was up to the various courier companies to decide which branch locations they would use as collection/delivery points.

Shap Village Store was closed for most of 2023, after its owners of more than 20 years retired. It reopened with new owners, initially as a shop only - with a Post Office counter added in May 2024, after a campaign by the community.

Westmorland and Furness MP Tim Farron, who had campaigned for the Post Office's reopening, said he was "devastated".

"I guess defending a community like ours means being eternally vigilant, always fighting these fights," the Liberal Democrat MP said.

He said he would be fighting to keep a Post Office service in the village.

"The Post Office here in Shap is a massive lifeline to people who would have to travel many miles, with appalling public transport to allow them to get there in the first place," Farron said.

New opportunity

The store's proprietors said they hoped a new owner could be found.

"We will be putting the property on the market, hopefully to give the right people an opportunity to work their magic."

A spokesman for the Post Office said they were sorry to hear the current postmistress had chosen to resign and were advertising the opportunity.

"We know how important a Post Office is to a community, and the residents of Shap were delighted when the Post Office reopened," the spokesman said, adding the company had worked closely with the Shap branch since the counter reopening.

"During this time we successfully had vehicle tax renewal added to the range of services available.

"Unfortunately it is not possible to have a full range of services at every Post Office."