Lodsworth Larder: an eco-friendly, sustainable, community shop project
Name: Lodsworth Larder Limited
Legal structure: IPS ViRSA model rules
Opened: November 2009
Lodsworth Larder, an eco-friendly, sustainable community shop project
For 20 years after the previous shop closed down in 1988, the residents of the ancient West Sussex village of Lodsworth had had to make a 7-mile round trip to buy a pint of milk. A groundswell of support for the concept of a community-owned shop came to a head in 2007, and after two years of active fundraising, public meetings, questionnaires and consultations, building started on a unique and aesthetically beautiful purpose-built shop in early 2009.
At the centre of the project, along with the overwhelming need for a local shop, was another imperative: to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. With Lodsworth boasting more Grade I and II listed buildings than anywhere else in Sussex, and situated within a designated conservation area, it was important that the project make a careful assessment of the shop’s impact on the environment. The building is entirely constructed from locally sourced materials that can regenerate. Most of the wood used in the construction came from an area of derelict mixed coppice woodland last cut over 50 years ago, and the woodland’s bio-diversity has increased as a result. All wood was milled locally, thus saving road miles. The shop was designed by local architect Valerie Hinde and built by The Roundwood Timber Framing Company Limited, a specialist Lodsworth-based eco-friendly building firm, run by Ben Law whose 'Woodland House’ was featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs.
Lodsworth Larder is not just green in its construction but also in its day-to-day operation: photovoltaic tiles on the roof generate electricity for the shop (a meter inside the shop indicates the kilowatt savings for all to see); there is heat reclamation from the fridges; the walls are thickly insulated with local sheep’s wool; and the shop also features low-energy lights and water recycling systems. These measures should all reduce the running costs of the shop to levels below those of a traditional build. Plus, of course, the sale of local produce and the very fact that the residents can shop within the village means a great saving in food miles and CO2 emissions.
Putting these environmental credentials at the heart of the plans certainly paid off when raising funds, as it ticked a lot of boxes on the grant applications. To fund the build, residents formed an Industrial and Provident Society and raised £160,000 through grants (including £40,000 from the Plunkett Foundation's Village Core Programme), local fundraising and selling shares, as well as a 'sponsor-a-tile’ scheme (£1 enabled everyone to sponsor a cedar roof tile, which was then engraved with the individual's name). A site central to the village was chosen: the car park of the local pub, the Hollist Arms.
With the community firmly behind the project, from buying shares to wielding paintbrushes, Lodsworth Larder opened in November 2009 and is already performing above business plan predictions. In addition to general groceries, newspapers and off-licence, the shop sells locally sourced vegetables, meats, cheeses, milk, breads, chocolates and cakes, as well as ethically sourced products such as fair-trade and environmentally sound cleaning products. Top-end produce sits alongside standard everyday fare to ensure that while the locals can purchase their basics, there is plenty to delight the visiting tourist (many of whom make the trip to Lodsworth specifically to see the shop itself). New ideas are constantly being examined by the committee: recently a scheme has got under way for the shop to act as a fresh fish pick-up point. If the Lodsworth Larder continues to live up to expectations and proves itself to be a sustainable rural enterprise, it could well become a model for other villages to follow.
View Lodsworth Larder on the Community Shop Directory including youtube video links.