The Council is arranging an open Parish Meeting at the Pavilion on January 18th at 7.00pm, to which everyone is invited, to discuss the future of the Bramham shop sand Post Office.
The Parish Council is continuing to consult with the Post Office Retail Team to secure a positive outcome and a continuation of service should the current Post office/Shop close once leaseholder leaves. To date the Council has not received any confirmation that the Shop/Post Office will close when they leave.
The Parish Council has considered the option of applying for the Post Office/Shop building to be registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). If a property that is registered as an ACV is put up for sale the nominating body can enact the Community Right to Bid. This places a moratorium period of six months on the sale to allow time for the nominating body to determine if it can raise the funds to purchase the property and submit a bid to purchase it. The ACV applies to the building and not the business.
The Council fully acknowledges the inclusion of the facility within the Neighbourhood Plan and recognises its status as a valuable asset to the village and residents. Having discussed the issue at length, and having considered a written representation from a resident, the Council resolved not to apply to Leeds City Council for the building to be listed as an ACV. The Council considers that there is no simple answer as to whether registration as an ACV would be beneficial or detrimental or indeed a mixture of both to the future of the Shop/Post Office. The Council would not be in a financial position to proceed either to purchase the building or subsequently run/manage the business if it were put up for sale
Other Community Groups within the village, including charities and unincorporated groups of at least 21 members, have the right to make an application to register a building as an ACV. The Council has arranged an open Parish Meeting at the Pavilion on January 18th at 7.00pm, to discuss the options.