A NEW community shop could be coming to Denbury as part of plans to revitalise its village hall.

A planning application has been submitted for a series of improvements to Denbury Village Hall, including converting its existing entrance area into a shop for local residents.

The proposals are aimed at giving the village hall a new lease of life while providing it with an additional source of income to help secure its future.

Teignbridge Council is expected to make a decision on 26/01434/FUL by November 9.

Denbury Village Hall is a community-run facility which hosts local groups, classes, meetings, events and social functions.

The planning statement says it is an important focal point for village life, but is currently underused because of the tired condition of the building's interior.

The proposed community shop would take up the space currently used as the entrance hall.

The existing front door would become the entrance for customers, while a new entrance hall would be created elsewhere in the building.

The plans also include new male and female toilets, along with an accessible toilet, while the kitchen would be enlarged by making use of existing storage space.

The main hall and stage would be retained, meaning the building could continue to accommodate community events and activities.

The planning statement says the changes would allow the hall to become a ‘vibrant, dual-purpose venue’, combining its existing community role with a new local retail facility.

It adds that the shop would provide a reliable revenue stream to help with the hall's long-term maintenance, while the improvements would make the building more accessible and functional.

The statement says the scheme would help to ‘safeguard essential local services’ and support the long-term vitality of the village.

Importantly, the plans do not involve extending the building.

All of the proposed changes would be made within the existing footprint of the hall, with the focus on reorganising and modernising the space already available.

The proposals follow what the applicants describe as a ‘highly positive’ response from the council during pre-application discussions.

The planning statement concludes by saying : 'This application seeks to deliver practical upgrades to an existing, valued community asset.

'The proposal improves overall accessibility, rationalises the internal layout, and introduces a much-needed local community shop.

‘As supported by the local planning authority's pre-application report, the scheme causes no heritage harm and will positively contribute to the social and economic resilience of Denbury’.

To view the proposal in full, and to comment on the application, visit Teignbridge Council’s planning portal and enter ‘26/01434/FUL’ into the search-box.