Swap deal for Barclays and Post Office approved

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Cambridge's main Post Office is moving to make way for a Barclays Bank branch after months of controversy.

Post Office bosses have announced the move after a swap deal with Barclays.

The bank will take over 9-11 St Andrew’s Street and Post Office Ltd yesterday announced it will move to 57-58 St Andrew’s Street.

Members of Cambridge City Council’s west/central area committee voted unanimously in favour of a change of use for the post office premises from retail to financial services in April.

The banking giant wants to make the building the home of a new flagship outlet.
That will mean closing all three of its city centre branches, including Bene’t Street and Market Hill.

The five-floor building covers 800 square metres and has a distinctive stone façade featuring three arched windows. The floor space occupied by the bank’s current premises is roughly 270 square metres by comparison.

The move comes after a consultation in which Post Office bosses said they “received a very small number of comments from customers and local representatives, mainly in support of the move”.

However, they said “customers were concerned about the space in the new premises and the purpose of the consultation process, as it appeared that the decision to move had already been made”.

A Post Office spokesman said: “We are confident that the new service is suitably located and will meet the needs of our customers in the local community.

“In seeking views, we ask for feedback on specific areas or questions, rather than the principle of the change itself.

“This move will secure Post Office services to the local community in the longer term. There will be adequate space at the new branch to accommodate customers.

“The new premises are being completely refurbished and will enable us to offer Post Office services from a new modern open plan branch, with improved layout and up-to-date technology for our customers.

“There will be no break in service to customers as the current branch will close on Saturday, January 8 at 5.30pm, with the new branch opening on Monday, January 10 at 9am.”

Robert Boorman, chairman of Cambridgeshire Older People’s Enterprise (COPE), fears the move may damage the service.

He said: “There are issues of access and we are concerned that there will be fewer staff to deal with customers.

“There are already hold-ups at the existing post office and we will have to see if it gets any better with the move.”