Anger as reopening of town centre Post Office delayed for months

Nation.Cymru staff

Plans to restore a Post Office service to a Welsh town centre have suffered a setback after an application from a potential new operator fell through.

The Post Office has confirmed it is again looking for someone to run a branch in Caerphilly after the town’s main Post Office closed earlier this month.

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Lindsay Whittle said the latest development could mean residents waiting months for a replacement and accused the Post Office of failing to prepare adequately for the closure.

In an email to the Blaenau Gwent, Caerffili Rhymni MS, the Post Office said an application it had been progressing had been unsuccessful.

It said: “Unfortunately, the application was not successful and we are, therefore, advertising for a new operator.

“We appreciate this is disappointing news and apologise to our customers for the delay in restoring Post Office services in Caerphilly.”

Potential applicants have until September 13 to express an interest in operating the branch.

Mr Whittle said he had previously taken Post Office representatives to a potential location which he understood they considered suitable.

He said: “I am furious and angry that the Post Office has allowed this situation to occur. They had ample notice.

“I took them to one property which they told me was great. But Post Office officials then said they had another option but would not tell me where. Now it’s back to the drawing board.”

He said the failure to secure a replacement meant people living around the town centre would have to continue travelling to Castle View or Penyrheol, and warned it could be months before a new branch opened.

Resignation

The former Post Office at Castle Court Shopping Centre closed on August 8 following the resignation of its postmaster and the withdrawal of the premises from Post Office use.

Before the closure, the Post Office said it was working to keep any interruption to services to a minimum and was investigating options for restoring a branch.

At the time, it said any replacement would need to be sustainable both for its operator and Post Office Limited.

Concerns had already been raised about the impact of losing the branch, particularly following the closure of banks in the town which had resulted in some customers being directed to the Post Office for banking services.

The branch’s workforce had also fallen from eight employees several years ago to two before its closure.

The nearest alternative branches are at Castle View, around 1.3 miles away, and Penyrheol, around 1.5 miles away.

Mr Whittle raised concerns about the future of the service with Post Office representatives during an event at the Senedd in July.

Responsibility for the Post Office network is not devolved to Wales, with Post Office Limited owned by the UK Government.

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