Butchers shop makes way for housing

Crown Butchers had served the villagers in Hermitage for more than 100 years

FOLLOWING the recent closure of the Crown Butchers shop in Hermitage, plans have been submitted for the building to be demolished and converted into housing.

The butchers had been run by Martin Gathergood and his brother Jeffrey for 30 years, but they claimed the popularity of supermarkets and farm shops meant it was no longer viable to continue trading.

“When we started there were no big shops and people would use the high street butchers, but later we noticed a slow drop-off of customers,” said Martin Gathergood.

“However, in the last 10 years, the lack of footfall has been dramatic.”

Now planning permission has been submitted for the building in High Street to be knocked down and replaced with a two-bedroom detached house, two three-bedroom semi-detached houses and two four-bedroom detached homes.

Crown Butchers had served the villagers in Hermitage for more than 100 years.