Our village has one shop/post office. Some weeks ago there was a robbery at the shop. Following this the owner closed the shop and the post office. However it subsequently came to light that the the owner had cancelled her Post Office contract(which was not one designated for closure) about two weeks previously. This was done without any consultation with the village and without informing the Parish Council. The owner's husband is a member of the Parish Council and, despite the obvious conflict of interest, continues to participate in the council discussions on the grounds that "the shop is now closed therefore no conflict exists". The discussions have become very hostile with a small cabal of their friends determined to block any attempt to explore options for re-opening the shop which is now on the market for sale. However it is clear that they would prefer to sell it for a higher price as a home rather than a business. I understand that under current legislation they cannot change use for a period of 12 months. There is a significant group in the village who would like to find a more constructive way forward. My question is around the legal rights and wrongs of this situation, and whether there are any rural support mechanisms which might allow / support some sort of consortium approach to buying the shop and re-opening both the shop and the Post Office. Clearly this has a profoundly negative effect on the village community.

Hi I have a client who is wanting to sell a product - suppliers are asking for it to have a barcode. Is there any advice out there on the way forward for my client. What are the best options. Linda, Causeway Enterprise Agency

Hi I am writing for some advice in relation to setting up a social enterprise. We have a committee who are divided into 2 schools of thought as to how to proceed. We are a charity based in Northern Ireland and we are in the process of developing three new social enterprises. We are aware of the route of setting up a company limited but guarantee owned by the charity but operating independently as a business, but some of our committee are also interested in having the enterprises remain within the charity as a whole. Am I right in thinking that this method would impact upon the charities ability to apply for funding, tax and upon the accountability of the management committee in the event of failure? I really need some information to take back to the committee which will give them all of the facts enable them to make an informed decision.