Temp building could be used to house Ely PO over Christmas

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Temporary building could be used to house Ely Post Office over Christmas

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A temporary building in one of Ely’s car parks could be used to accommodate the city’s post office over the Christmas period as the lease for the current building runs out next week.

Bosses at Post Office Ltd have been trying to safeguard the future of the city’s only branch in High Street for months but the lease for the premises runs out next Thursday (November 7).

With a decision yet to be made on whether the post office will – or can – relocate to inside the Premier Convenience Store in High Street – a proposed move announced earlier this year – the hunt is now on to find temporary accommodation.

And it looks like post office users could be forced to use a portable building in one of the city’s car parks unless bosses can persuade Lloyds to extend the lease.

District Cllr Jeremy Friend-Smith, whose ward is Ely South, has described the temporary plan as “scandalous”.

He said: “It is scandalous that in midwinter, during the busy Christmas season, customers may be queuing outside in the cold and wet.

“Why has Post Office Ltd left everything so beyond the last minute? This will be the only post office counter serving the 17,000 population of Ely.”

There have been fears for the future of the city’s post office throughout this year ever since Lloyds, which owned the lease of the post office, announced it wanted to re-locate to St Mary’s Surgery. Those plans were approved, despite concerns, and the Lloyds branch in High Street has now closed.

Post Office bosses want to re-locate and modernise the Ely branch by moving it inside the convenience store just a few doors along and a public consultation on those proposals ended on October 15.

The company says it is now working closely with East Cambridgeshire District Council to make sure that a post office service is maintained in Ely – however that may be.

A Post Office spokeswoman said: “Lloyds Pharmacy gave us notice that its lease was due to expire and that they would then vacate the premises. We are currently trying to extend this lease for as long as possible.

“We have consulted on re-locating Ely Post Office a few doors away to Premier Convenience Store. An announcement will be made shortly.

“We are working closely with the district council to maintain post office services in Ely when the lease does expire.”

Richard Hobbs, chairman of the council’s community and environment committee, said: “Post Office approached us for help with finding a temporary location for a mobile post office while they complete work on their new permanent site on the High Street.

“One of these sites could be a section of a car park and we will continue to discuss this with the post office to see if it would be suitable.”