Next steps towards a community-owned village shop for Selborne
Thank you to everyone who came along to our public drop-in meeting on 23 November 2025 where we presented our plans for a not-for-profit community shop to be built on a corner of the Punfle field alongside information about the Old Post Office store which is currently vacant and available for rent. We received 41 completed comment forms containing a range of views and perspectives on the options available. We are grateful to all those who shared their thoughts and feedback. Our conversations with residents at the meeting confirmed that there is still a great deal of keen enthusiasm and support for establishing a long-term, sustainable village shop in Selborne.
There are some key factors to consider as we plan our next steps. Firstly, the Old Post Office is only available for commercial rent on a short-term lease (5 years or less) which would render the project ineligible for major grant funding opportunities. Grant funding is an essential financial component of the project, so this poses a serious problem as most of the funding would therefore need to come from villagers. A short-term lease would also render the future of the shop beyond the stipulated period unstable and therefore would discourage private donors and shareholders from investing in the project.
A number of respondents suggested that we could open initially in the Old Post Office premises for a period of 5 years, and then move the shop to the Punfle site after that. This isn’t possible for a number of reasons including the fact that funders won’t consider awarding grants for projects that have already started, so once the shop was up and running in the Old Post Office we wouldn’t be eligible to seek funding for the Punfle project. Likewise, it is not certain that the Punfle site would still be available to us at that time. We have a fantastic opportunity at the Punfle, which has been offered to us on a 99-year lease at a peppercorn rent. It presents a much greater promise of longevity for the shop.
It is clear that the Punfle is the only option available to us for creating a long-term and sustainable village shop that can serve the community of Selborne long into the future. There is simply no other viable site. We are therefore moving forward with our plans for the Punfle and are aiming to submit a planning application in February 2026. The building has been carefully designed to sit sensitively into the site and will not impinge on views to the Hanger. If you would like to see the plans, they are available on our website: https://selbornestores.co.uk/key-documents/
Unlike commercial retailers, our village shop will operate as a not-for-profit enterprise run purely for community benefit. This model has proved very successful in other local villages including Ropley, Preston Candover, Milland and Frensham. Any surplus profit the community shop makes will go to improve the shop or be donated to local projects in Selborne and the surrounding areas. We’re really excited about the positive impact this could have in our village, and we hope you are too.
We will keep the village updated as the planning application progresses and hope to have your support with the project. Do keep an eye on our website for further information and if you would like to get in touch with the committee, you can reach us by email at selbornecommunityshop@gmail.com.
*STOP PRESS* Just as we prepared this announcement, we were informed that the Old PO site, including the residential section, is to be put up for sale. This will need careful consideration by the committee, shareholders and the village. We will keep you informed via our website.