The mission to save South Zeal’s village shop has entered the next stage, South Tawton Parish Councillors heard at a recent meeting.

Councillor Ken Crawford informed councillors that a steering group of eight members had been established to discuss ways of ensuring The Stores does not close and that an application to the Plunkett Foundation had been submitted for financial help turning the business into a community-owned store.

The new steering group has also applied for a grant of £550 from South Tawton Parish Council in order to afford the initial £240 fee for the Plunkett Foundation and the £310 fee for the financial conduct authority.

Cllr Crawford also confirmed that future funding would come from the community assets programme which promises to match any funding raised up to £250,000, but that there are other possible funding sources that the steering group is currently investigating.

This update follows on from a public survey carried out in November last year to gauge public support for the venture to prevent the shop’s closure.