SHABBY: The shop front at 4 Market Place
SHABBY: The shop front at 4 Market Place

PLANS have been submitted to overhaul a village shop front that has been described as “shabby”.
Questions about what could be done to improve the shopfront at 4 Horse Market, Middleton-in-Teesdale, were raised by parish councillors last September after residents complained about the condition of the former post office premises. One of the windows at the empty shop was boarded up with plywood after suffering damage.
In a design and access statement, Paul Hunt of Dark Skies Designs, on behalf of Mr G Wilcox, stated: “The property is going through a refurbishment before new tenants occupy it.
“The property is not listed but is located within the village’s conservation area.”
He added: “New double glazed units are proposed to replace the original damaged glazing.
“The timber frames are in a poor condition and it is proposed to replace this with marginally larger circular timber posts.
“New glazing will be more thermally efficient and toughened in accordance with current building regulations.
“The intention is to provide a high quality shopfront befitting the conservation area while making the shopfront more energy efficient and safer.”