Residents in Fyfield are to be asked to exercise people power in a bid to solve the problem of the vanished village shop.

Householders' opinions will be canvassed on what should happen following the closure of Fyfield Village Stores and Post Office earlier this year.

A meeting called by the parish council in the village hall decided to lobby the 500-plus on the electoral roll for ideas about what should replace the shop, axed because it was losing money.

Local councillor Doug Kelly told the Gazette: "We must examine all the options. It's unlikely that the stores will re-open but we must look at the possibility of a mobile shop regularly visiting Fyfield or initiating some form of community transport to take us to the facilities in other places.

"There are a number of elderly people and young mothers without transport who are badly missing the shop and, especially, the Post Office to collect their pensions or family allowance."

Campaigners plan to use a leaflet in next month's edition of the parish magazine Fyfield Focus to seek villagers' views.

Cllr Kelly said: "We need to establish what the community itself wants. It may be that we could set something up in the village hall which would meet people's needs."

Fyfield will also closely monitor developments in Epping Forest Council for Voluntary Services' bid to improve rural transport in the district.

A survey last autumn is expected to spark the provision of a fleet of mini buses and people carriers to provide a flexible service.

Newly elected parish councillor Bob Higgs is one of the leaders of the drive to make up for the loss of Fyfield's stores. He was manager for nearly a year until the owner, Willingale farmer Mark Wilkinson, reluctantly had to close the doors.

Mr Wilkinson said then: "Unfortunately, people haven't been supporting it. Takings have dropped by a half and, in addition to £15,000 start-up costs, I've been losing £300 a week."

At the time of the closure local MP Eric Pickles said that village stores such as Fyfield's were the bricks and mortar which held communities together.

He warned: "We're in danger of creating a sub class in rural areas which is denied resources and has transport problems."

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