Church community planning to open members-only shop in Stafford

The “retail club” is proposed for vacant land on Common Road Industrial Estate and it would be used by around 100 households in the Stafford area.

Plans have been submitted to Stafford Borough Council for construction of a single storey unit and 17 car parking spaces at Verulam Road.

The facility is intended to cross fund education facilities within the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC).

A planning statement submitted as part of the application said: “The operations at the premises will consist of wholesale delivery, mainly of food and household goods, and then onward sale to members of the church community.

"The store is run by staff during core hours and supplemented by volunteers where necessary, and all profits are donated to the school charities.

“The retail members club will have no shop front and no external signage, just a single entrance door. It is for private members’ use only (by the Brethren church community) and not open to the public.

“The stacking of shelves, taking on-site deliveries, stock taking, and cleaning is undertaken by volunteers. When the store is staffed as till assistants, there is also ancillary coffee machine area with seating so that members can interact.”

The statement added that core hours would be 10am to 4pm. The store would be open 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 1pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.