False start for new post office

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The tortured process of reopening a Bath post office took another twist this morning.

Local politicians turned up to celebrate the launch of a new temporary service for the Weston area - only to find the doors firmly locked.

It is now more than eight months since the post office in the High Street suddenly closed.

The temporary service, which will be run from the former branch until a more permanent solution is found, had been due to reopen at 10.30am today.

But by 11am the premises were still locked after Post Office Ltd had to delay the reopening because of unspecified technical problems.


A statement from the firm said it could not give a new date for the opening but was hoping to restore the branch as soon as possible.

It did not explain what the problem was, although it is understood to involve the alarm system.

The statement added: "We can only apologise for this delay in reopening post office services in Weston.

"The problem that has occurred is related to work in a separate part of the building.

"This problem could not have been anticipated, nor could any contingency arrangement have been made for it.

"Very regrettably, while the situation is rectified, the branch must remain temporarily closed.

"At this stage we do not have a date for reopening, but we aim to achieve this as quickly as possible in the interests of local people."

The latest delay threatens to bring further frustration for residents who have been fighting for a service in the village since the company running the previous branch, Interim Enterprises, handed back its contract to Post Office Ltd in June.

But community leaders are hoping today's false start is just a minor blip, with one possibility being that the service may open on Tuesday.

Patricia House of Purlewent Drive who runs Weston Pet and Animal Supplies in the High Street, said the absence of a post office in the village had been detrimental to local trade.

She said: "It has been killing off the village not having a post office.

"It brings people into the village and then once they are here they will shop.

"If they go somewhere else then they shop somewhere else. It does make a huge difference."

Councillor Malcolm Lees (Con, Weston), who has worked over the last eight months to get the service restored, said he was glad progress was being made.

He said: "It is going to mean a lot to everyone, particularly the old people having to go into town or Lower Weston.

"The village has been very quiet since the closure of the post office so other shops have been suffering, it will be good to have a post office again and all the activities that go with it.

"It is really fantastic news and generally everyone has been working hard to try and make this happen."

Councillor Colin Barrett (Con, Weston) added: "Now we are moving on.

"The village has suffered for the last 18 months.

"Now we have got back into the village the heart of the matter which is the post office."

Bath MP Don Foster has also been in constant touch with postal bosses on the issue.

His Conservative prospective parliamentary rival Fabian Richter was in Weston for the aborted relaunch today.

He said: "This will come as a huge relief to the residents of Weston whom I met at our public demonstration last autumn. Many simply cannot travel all the way to the city centre to renew their TV licences or collect their pensions.

"However, let's not forget this is only a temporary opening, and by the summer the branch could be closed again.

"Therefore I have written to the Post Office Ltd to ask what their timetable is for finding a permanent solution to this issue."