View the latest update regarding the village shop proposal in St Mary's Church

1. Note to village residents from Reverend Annette Shannon & Church Warden Simon Harley 

2. Response to petition 

News from the Shop at St. Mary’s Consultation Event held 10th,11th & 12th February 2022

Nearly 100 residents of Tattingstone, including parents and children from the school, visited St. Mary’s last week to see the latest proposals for a Community Shop and Café at St. Mary’s. We received very positive and supportive comments about the plans and designs for the shop/café and for the wider re-ordering of the church. Visitors also made helpful suggestions on what products they would like to see and which local suppliers could be approached.

There were some questions raised about the impact on parking. It seems that there has been a recent increase in parking levels, possibly linked to the removal of free parking facilities in the Alton Water car parks in mid-2021. All of our shop research to date has suggested that the majority of shop users would travel to the shop/café on foot or already have travelled to Tattingstone by car (for school drop-off and pick-up for example). So we don’t believe that a shop/café would cause a significant increase in parking requirements. We will continue to assess options to mitigate any impact there could be.

All of the feedback is so useful as we continue to shape our plans, so a big thank you to all those who came to see the display boards. As a record of the event, and for those unable to visit us last week, we have uploaded a document to show all the images that were used on the display boards Click here to view the latest update.

There is still lots to do to make a Tattingstone shop and café a reality but we are convinced there continues to be the necessary support from within the community. Based on the recent event, the Steering Group have decided to move forward with plans for a ‘first shop’ to be sited in St. Mary’s. In the next 3-months, we will be focussing on completing the necessary diocese and planning permission applications, looking more closely at the shop and café operational requirements and ramping up our efforts to raise the necessary funds.

As we move the project forward, we hope to keep the community engaged through further consultation events, possibly linking in with the Thursday Drop-In sessions at the Village Hall as well as through updates in the Tattler and on social media. We hope to launch our own website soon as well. Of course, if you would like to get involved in any aspect of the project, please contact us

The Tattingstone Shop Project

For most villages, a shop is a vital lifeline and for some people, especially those without transport, it is an important connection with the world beyond their front door. It is a meeting place, communication centre and an important lynchpin of village life. Much of the appeal of our village rests on its sense of community. It is the reason many people have moved to Tattingstone and remain here. 

A questionnaire was distributed in June 2021 to all residents of Tattingstone and parents/guardians of the primary school children to determine whether there was a fundamental need for a village shop.

Download the full results of the feasibility survey here.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

The Phase 1 Feasibility has evidenced a strong level of demand - not just desire - for a Community shop in Tattingstone.

We have now moved forward on three main fronts:

1. Developed a greater understanding of setting up a community shop

2. Explored village location options to potentially site a community shop

3. Established a wider Steering Group to lead on key aspects such as marketing/comms, location, funding/finance, product/service sourcing, volunteering, legal etc

Do keep visiting this page as we will be using this platform to provide regular updates on progress.

Useful resources for more information

Plunkett Foundation

Case studies

How to set up a Community shop