THE MP for Wells will open an emergency shop in Brent Knoll via a live video link this weekend.

The village’s emergency shop is being opened in the former village shop building in Brent Street and plans to stock newspapers, bread, milk, groceries, and vegetable boxes all provided by local suppliers.

The shop has been created in response to the Covid-19 restrictions which have left some residents unable to get to supermarkets or secure home deliveries.

It is also aims to act as a bridge between the recent closure of the village shop and plans for a new community run shop.

James Heappey, MP for Wells, will open the shop in Brent Street vat 8.55am on Saturday, April 18, via videolink on the store's Facebook page - www.facebook.com/BrentKnollEmergencyCommunityShop/.

John Mathews, a member of the team who helped to create the Emergency Shop, will also be on the video link to cut the ribbon on the MPs cue.

“Anyone will be able to watch and listen to the official opening by going to that Facebook page," John said.

“Our immediate aim is to re-open the closed village shop in Brent Knoll on Saturday, April 18 as an emergency shop, which volunteers will staff for two hours per day (9-11am) for several days per week.

"We now have the support of the Plunkett Foundation, which has helped more than 300 other rural community shops to thrive, towards our longer-term hope of establishing a Community Shop.

Before the coronavirus outbreak hit the UK a group of villagers in Brent Knoll conducted a public consultation survey on the concept of creating a “community shop” to replace the now closed village shop and Post Office."

More than 150 people responded to the survey, with only one opposing the plans.

Forty two respondents offered to be volunteers to help run the shop, 26 offered to join the Steering Group, 12 people offered their professional skills to the project, and 93 agreed to become share-buying members at a cost of £50-£100.