Lower Broadheath allowed to keep temporary Post Office open

A temporary Post Office and community shop based in a pub garden cabin will be allowed to stay open for at least another five years, council officials say.

The provision in Lower Broadheath, Worcestershire, opened in the grounds of the Bell Inn in 2019.

The village's permanent store and post office shut three years before.

Malvern Hills District Council agreed to extend temporary permission for the current set-up to 2028.

Proposals to find a full-time base were hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which also affected fundraising plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Nearly 80 messages of support were sent to the authority by villagers who praised the store and called for it to remain.

One resident said she volunteered at the shop and it had proved a lifeline to elderly people during the pandemic.

"The post office is a great asset to the village particularly as it provides some banking services," she wrote.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]