THE final push to secure a new shop and post office for a county village is on this week.

Burley Gate's existing village shop and Post Office is due to close on July 4 when its owners retire but the local community is now working hard to put a replacement in place.

A Community Benefit Society – registered to set up a new shop and Post Office and a community share and loan stock issue – was launched on April 18.

More than half of the required £48,000 – which will buy a portable building, buy the existing Post Office contract at Burley Gate and install the necessary Post Office equipment and security – has been raised.

Now, the race to secure the remaining £20,000 is on, with a fundraising deadline of May 18.

Shares are available in multiples of £20 and just one conveys membership of the community shop with voting rights on how it is run.

Loan stock is also being issued for qualifying investments in excess of £1,000 and HMRC has confirmed that investors are eligible for the 30 per cent Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) for the project.

Planning permission has been approved for a temporary building in the Burley Gate Village Hall car park, on the main A465 Hereford to Bromyard road.

The new venture would serve the surrounding local parishes of Felton, Little Cowarne, Moreton Jeffries, Much Cowarne, Ocle Pychard, Preston Wynne and Stoke Lacy.

Anyone interested should drop-in to the final wine and cheese share launch on Saturday May 16 at Burley Gate Village Hall anytime between 6.30pm to 9pm to find out more.

Interested investors can also find more information online at burleygateshop.co.uk