Father and son try to sell shop after eight months

CONCERNS have been raised about the future of a shop and post office in Shiplake after it was put up for sale.

The property in Station Road has been listed for sale with a leasehold for almost £150,000.

Owners, father and son Andrew and Archie Granger, moved into the corner shop in April.

The pair had taken over the shop from Mark and Carol Harvey, who ran it for about 20 years.

The Grangers refused to comment when contacted by the Henley Standard.

The sale listing, which is with Sovereign Business Transfer, states that there is three-bedroom accommodation above the shop and it comes with two car garages.

In October, Mr Granger applied for planning permission to extend its retail space, which has since been granted.

About 31 sq m of accommodation can now be converted to provide more space and a café area to serve up to nine customers.

On the Shiplake Villages forum page, Mr Granger encouraged people to “reach out” to discuss a sale to the community to form a community shop.

One resident, who lives in Lashbrook Road in Lower Shiplake, raised concerns about the frequency with which it has changed hands.

They said: “It’s a disaster for the shop and the post office. The concerns are that various people are coming and going and it’s not good for the village, really. It’s possible [there could be a lengthy period until a handover] and that would be a concern.

“[Its success] depends on who buys it. If it’s somebody with a wish to make it work, then it will be fabulous.”

She added: “It’s good to have it there because there are things there I need that I wouldn’t necessarily buy in Tesco.”

Shiplake parish clerk Roger Hudson said: “There has been great concern because obviously it has been the hub of the community.

“When Carol and Mark were there, they really were the centre of the village in terms of information and supply services to the community and a lot of people came out from Henley to use it because it’s easier to park so it would be a huge blow if we lost it.

“It will change hands if it’s sold. Now [Andy] has planning permission for the shop, I would have thought that would be quite an attractive proposition to somebody.

“The community thrives and supports the post office and the little corner shop is essential.”

David Pheasant, deputy chair of the parish council, said he was “surprised” to see the sale notice but was hopeful a new owner would make a positive impact.

He said: “The post office is great and if it isn’t here it will affect people.

“We hope we’ll have someone who is equally as good as Carol and Mark.”