Former post office and general store at Great Barrow highlighted for development

Dec 10 2009 by Ben Coulbeck, Chester Chronicle

A FAILED village store near Chester has been identified as a possible site for residential accommodation.

The Post Office and general store at Great Barrow, which closed in April, may be turned into housing if planning permission is granted by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

An application to change the lower floor of the building, on Main Street, from retail use to residential has been submitted by Ethel Austin Investment Properties Ltd.

Although once linked with the Ethel Austin retail brand, the existing property firm is now an unrelated business.

Agent Peter Jones said: “It was such a shame when the store closed. A lot of people put such hard work into it and it was hoped that any profits would go to the local church, but there was never any profits.

“The pub landlord is now trying his best to meet the day-today needs of the local community.

“We are trying to get some sort of an amber light to allow the use of the building to become residential, so that if someone comes in then we have already gone part of the way there”.