Post Office rules out temporary service after town centre branch closure

Nation.Cymru staff

A request for a temporary mobile Post Office has been rejected despite concerns residents could face months without a replacement town centre branch.

The Post Office has told Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Lindsay Whittle it will not provide a mobile service in Caerphilly, where the main town centre branch closed earlier this month.

Mr Whittle, who represents Blaenau Gwent, Caerffili and Rhymni, had asked the company to consider the temporary measure after plans for a permanent replacement fell through.

He said: “The Post Office already operates mobile post offices, there is one in my constituency at Cwm, and I don’t think it is asking too much for them to put one in Caerphilly town centre for a few weeks or months.

“The post offices at Castle View and Penyrheol, as well as Bedwas and Trethomas, are just not convenient for thousands of people who live in and around Caerphilly town centre.

“In the words of William Shakespeare it is surely not beyond the wit of man to put a mobile office on land in the town centre.”

The Post Office rejected his request, pointing to other branches in the surrounding area.

In an email to Mr Whittle, it said: “We recognise that the loss of Caerphilly Post Office is inconvenient for our customers who rely on high street services, and again we apologise to those who may need to travel further to access services.

“There are a number of alternative branches in the area. There are two main post offices in Caerphilly at Castle View and Penyrheol, as well as two further full service branches in Bedwas and Trethomas.

“We are, therefore, not considering any temporary or mobile services at this time.”

The former branch 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.

Efforts to secure a replacement suffered a setback when an application from a potential new operator was unsuccessful.

The Post Office is now advertising again for someone to run a branch, with potential applicants given until September 13 to express an interest.

Warning

Mr Whittle previously criticised the handling of the closure, saying the Post Office had been given sufficient warning to arrange a replacement.

He said he had taken representatives to one potential location which he understood they considered suitable, but another option was subsequently pursued.

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

Concerns over the loss of the service have also been heightened by previous bank closures in the town, which resulted in some customers being directed to the Post Office for banking services.

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

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