GOOD news has come for residents of a moorland village with plans revealed for one - or possibly two - new shops.

The St Cleer Farm and Grocery Stores closed at the start of this year, leaving villagers without anywhere to obtain basic goods or top up their electricity key.

But now local couple Nigel and Tina Lapthorne have told residents they plan to open a shop at the former Horizon Egg Farm.

Around 100 people attended a public meeting in St Cleer last week to discuss possible ideas for a community-run shop for the village.

Nigel and Tina, who live in Crow’s Nest, were at the meeting and spoke of their own plans.

Meanwhile David Lightfoot, who is the owner of the former St Cleer Farm Shop building, was also in attendance, said parish councillor Andy Webb.

‘Mr Lightfoot said that he had somebody interested in the shop as a commercial enterprise, but he didn’t give details,’ said Cllr Webb.

The Lapthornes have been running a farm shop at Tredinnick, near Widegates, for the last ten years - and were at one time employees of the egg farm. They will be leasing the former shop building at the site, which has been empty for around a decade at least, said Tina.

‘This is not something we wanted to do but we decided to do it the week after the other shop shut,’ she said.

‘It’s something this village needs. We hope to be open by Easter.’

The couple hope to install a part-time Post Office at the shop. A drop-off service for people in St Cleer who may find it difficult to access the site could also be on the cards, with many volunteers from the village pledging their support to help operate such a system.