BRING BACK OUR HIGHBURTON SHOP

[pankyone]

SHOPLESS villagers have launched an ambitious plan to bring back their Co-op.
Highburton lost its only shop, a 153-year-old Co-operative store, in February last year.
Now members of the village’s independent Co-op society, believed to be the oldest in the world, are facing a new battle after its committee signalled its intention to wind it up and sell the historic premises.
Society member Mike Greetham said he was calling on all members to attend the March 23 meeting and vote against the plan.
And he said support for relaunching a village shop on the site – at the junction of Moor Lane and Northfield Lane – was growing.
Mr Greetham, who is also chairman of the Kirkburton and Highburton Community Association, said: “We’re putting a lot of work into a new business plan and we’re also consulting with other Co-ops such as Slaithwaite.
“We’re seeking advice and help nationally and we think there’s grants available. We’re not retailers but we’re sure it could be an attractive option.”
If the premises were sold, members of the Highburton Co-operative Society would be eligible to shares of the proceeds.
But Mr Greetham said he thought the 40 members would prefer to have their shop back.
He added: “People have been missing it, very much so. It’s ¾ of a mile to Kirkburton and it’s quite a steep hill.
“You can drive but that’s the last thing you should be doing in this day and age when we want to be getting away from that.
“There’s the best part of 2,000 people in this area and we think that could sustain a shop if it sold the right things at the right prices and didn’t try to compete with Morrisons.
“A shop is an important thing in a village. People are saying ‘you never see so and so anymore’ because we’ve lost part of our social network.”
People who believe they are members of the Highburton Industrial and Provident Society who haven’t had an invitation to the meeting should contact the DL Partnership in Huddersfield

[DaveC]

“There’s the best part of 2,000 people in this area and we think that could sustain a shop if it sold the right things at the right prices and didn’t try to compete with Morrisons.

Surely if it were to sell the "right things at the right prices", that would place it in direct competition with Morrisons? Do many people shop in supermarkets because they sell things we don't want at prices we won't pay?

[despondent]

Do I recall Hepworth as having a public house and at least one shop on the main road, now gone for residential development, unless there is something tucked away onthe estate, this is yet another village without a shop [ & pub ].

[rj]

I lived in Highburton for some 20 years and the Coop was the only grocers shop for quite a number of years in the village. Later a paper shop was started but that has since closed. There was a Butchers shop (closed), wool shop (closed), hardware (closed) and two hairdressers shops (1 closed).
The village needs the Coop whether it can sustain itself is another matter. What it does not need are more houses.