A VILLAGE is in uproar over plans to move the post office to a new shop 15 metres away.
Staff at Trefnant Hub, which currently houses the post office counter, claim they have been left in the dark about plans to move the facility into The Village Store next door.
Owner of the Hub Gareth Cookson and postmaster Brenda Bland said they were hearing different things from different staff at the Post Office and only found out the company had taken steps towards moving the facility “by accident”.
Mr Cookson said: “It’s a huge mess. “We’ve been told different stories depending on who we speak to.”
Mrs Bland opened a letter addressed to the postmaster (her current title) to discover the “new owners” at The Village Store had cleared the first stage of security: staff at The Hub were not aware the tender for the service had even been offered out and a consultation into the proposals only opened last week.
Mr Cookson said he had invested £6,500 into the shop since taking it over in October and Mrs Bland said that, while her position as postmaster was temporary, she had not been warned it could end so soon.
“I’m due to retire in 18 months, it’ll be really difficult to get more work now,” she said. “I can’t understand the Post Office, I’ve got nearly 30 years service with them and I’m going to be out of a job.”
The debate over the future of post office provision in the village has been rumbling on for a number of years and Mr Cookson said residents had had enough.
He added: “The residents were upset and annoyed before, they’re now absolutely furious. We get on with our customers, there hasn’t been a single person happy about this.”
He also queried the Post Office’s claims the move would provide an extra 67 hours of service every week saying the true figure was 27.
Trefnant councillor Meirick Lloyd Davies added: “They (the Cooksons) are a young family with two children at the local school.
“They should have been given an opportunity to keep the service. It’s vital that we keep it there.”
A spokesman for the Post Office said: “The Trefnant branch is currently operated on Post Office Limited’s behalf by a temporary agent.
“But a long-term permanent solution in Trefnant is needed.
“The new branch would offer products and services throughout shop opening hours from an open-plan till at the shop counter instead of from a separate screened counter.
“The Post Office is inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a six-week public consultation.”
To take part in the consultation, which closes on February 19, write to Freepost, Your Comments, Post Office Ltd, call 03457 22 33 44 or Textphone 03457 22 33 55, email comments@postoffice.co.uk or fill in the survey at postofficeviews.co.uk with branch code 480614.