Lodsworth, a rural village in the heart of West Sussex, is building an eco-friendly timber framed village community shop – Lodsworth Larder - in the car park of it's local pub, The Hollist Arms. This unique shop has been designed by Valerie Hinde, a local architect, and is being built by Ben Law who runs a specialist eco-friendly building firm based in Lodsworth, The Roundwood Timber Framing Company. Ben is well known for building his “Woodland House” on Channel 4’s programme Grand Designs.
So far the village has raised over £100,000 since January through grants, fund raising and shares. Shares in the shop have been sold not just to residents but to visitors from as far afield as London and Edinburgh. The shop will create a great community hub and will not only provide all the basic everyday essentials but will also promote the benefits of using local produce and suppliers. Any profits made will be used to benefit other local community projects. The shop will have the very best green credentials, including generating its own electricity using photovoltaic panels, with any excess being sold back to the National Grid.
Building works are now underway, with the foundations prepared with local sandstone and flagstone plinths to support the large A frames. You can follow the progress of the shop here on the Lodsworth Video Diary, at their website www.lodsworthlarder.co.uk.
Lodsworth Larder are offering supporters the opportunity to buy a ceder shingle tile for £1. Each tile will include the name of the supporter; serving as a reminder that the shop belongs to the local community.