'Post office move will put it at accident blackspot'

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A PETITION has been launched to stop a village post office being moved to an “accident blackspot”.

It is proposed the post office on Hope Street, Gwersyllt, is moved to the Spar at Park Wall Service Station on the busy Mold Road.

The Post Office has launched a public consultation into the move which it says will secure the future for Gwersyllt Post Office and double its opening hours.

But a petition has been launched to keep the post office where it is and in just one morning it was signed by 200 people.

One employee from the store, who wishes to remain anonymous, said customers were angered by the plan, and added: “We have been here 30 years, right in the heart of the community.

“The garage where they are proposing to move us to is right at an accident blackspot on a busy road.

“We have a petition here and there has not been one customer who has come in who hasn’t signed it.

“The customers think it is abhorrent and they say they won’t walk to the new post office on the busy road.

“It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Staff at the store say they only found out about the potential move when posters arrived for them to display in the shop.

County councillor for Gwersyllt West, Arfon Jones, said: “My main concern is that the post office is being moved from the retail centre of the village.

“It will be located on a dual carriageway with limited bus services. The post office is a community benefit not just a business, and this is a bad business decision.”

Community councillor Gwenfair Jones, who runs a lunch club for the over 60s, said everybody at the club was “shocked”.

Adrian Wales, the Post Office regional network manager for Wales, said: “We know how important the post office service is to the community and we feel sure our customers old and new will welcome the longer opening hours and modern open plan format.

“This move will help secure post office services in the town for the future.”

The proposed move, if accepted, will take place in November.

The post office is inviting customers and interested parties to comment on its proposal to move Gwersyllt Post Office by September 11.

Submissions can be made during the consultation period by post to Post Office Ltd, National Consultation Team, Wealdstone Post Office, 1st Floor, Admin, 2 Headstone Drive, Harrow, HA3 5QL; via email to comments@postoffice. co.uk, via the customer helpline on 08457 223344 or textphone 08457 223355.