A SWANAGE shop could be converted to a house if plans are approved, as one of the owners suffered illness.
An application has been submitted to Dorset Council laying out plans to convert Ballard Down Stores, at 10 Redcliffe Road, into a residential dwelling.
The application, on behalf of Mr and Mrs Harris, said: “The building was originally built as a house, with a shop downstairs, so the owners could run the shop and live upstairs.
“The upstairs comprises three bedrooms and a lounge and has been in residential use since construction.
“The downstairs comprises the kitchen (the only one in the building) together with the retail element; a small shop and a store room.”
It said the shop has been ‘making a loss for some considerable time’, operated by the two owners, one of whom had become ‘very seriously ill’.
“While the owners have been tyring to sell the shop over the last 11 months, without success, this illness has meant the shop will have to close, and this will happen in the coming weeks,” the application said.
If converted into a house, changes would be made to the front of the building, although two parking spaces would remain, the application added, with a garden behind the garage remaining.
“On the south elevation (the front) on the ground floor, there will be a new front door, a new back door to a utility area and new large windows/bifold doors in what used to be the shop,” it said.
For more details, and to comment on the plan, log on to www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/FUL/2023/02281.
although devastated at the news that Ballard Down Stores will close – the shop has served the community of North Swanage for 38 years – and i believe Dave & Jeanette for 32 of them – together with their staff always giving us outstanding personal service & even more so through Covid and the lockdowns and it is time for them to let go and enjoy retirement – especially now since Dave’s sudden and unexpected serious illness from which he is making a slow & steady recovery – & thank God for that … it’s a bit like losing one of the family & they will be greatly missed – but we wish them all the best …..
I totally egree with the comments
MrandMs Harris deserves their retirement all good wishes to them,and hope David continues to recover from his illness.
Thankyou for all your hard work and dedication to our community. I wish you all the best for the future
Whenever I or my mother visited this shop some years ago, we were met by total rudeness.
I took my purchases to the counter and was treated to a frosty silence by the old woman at the counter, I had to ask her how much the total was, she barked out the amount, and relapsed into total silence, no hello, please, thank you, absolutely not a word said, I would have thought it cost more effort to conduct the transaction without a word rather than speaking.
This happened several times so it wasn’t a fluke, I thought she objected to me for some unknown reason, but no, my mother had the same experience from the man there who told her in no uncertain terms that they don’t accept credit cards!
After using the shop and P.O. consistently for years before they took over, we never went again.
Not sorry they’re closing, dedication to the community indeed! Treating customers like a damn nuisance more like.
Learn some manners.