Bathampton residents ecstatic over plans to reopen PO

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A meeting to discuss the closure of Bathampton's village shop and post office took a surprise turn when a Corsham businessman put in a bid for the business.

The meeting was called for Bathampton residents to discuss plans for a community cooperative following the shock closure of the shop and post office last month.

But the surprise arrival of businessman Mohammed Haque left villagers overjoyed at the news that their shop and post office could reopen much sooner than first thought.

Village hall chair Julie Reed said: "We're very emotional, it's a great outcome.

"We were gutted to lose the shop and the post office, they're the hub of the community and we don't want the village to die. We weren't going to keep quiet and let it go.

"Mr Haque is a breath of fresh air. It's great to get some new blood and it's supported entirely by the village. He's very enthusiastic and has lots of experience, it's a huge relief to the whole village."

However despite the positive feedback there are still mixed opinions over Mr Haque's plans for the post office, with some residents backing the idea of a community cooperative, like the Bathford village shop model, rather than a commercial enterprise.

The meeting was spearheaded by Bathampton resident Kevin Humphries, who said he was delighted with the turnout and positive attitude of residents.

He said: "There's not as much of a buzz in the village without the shop. A community cooperative would be great, with profit ploughed back into the community, but the village wants its shop back. Mr Haque seems very keen and I think he realised how much we care about the community."

Mr Haque, who has run Haque's Indian restaurant and takeaway in Corsham for the past 14 years, hopes to reopen the businesses in Bathampton within the next fortnight.

He said: "The meeting was great to see how keen the villagers are, and they welcomed me which I didn't expect.

"It has been on my mind for the last decade to find something in Bathampton, and I look forward to doing something special for the people of Bathampton.

"But at the moment I am focusing on reopening the shop and post office as soon as I can."