Post Office on the move

2:00pm Tuesday 29th July 2008

WALLINGFORD'S Post Office is on the move again - back to its old home.

But, in between the transfer, there will be a gap of four working days when the town will not have a functioning post office.

On August 19, the post office will reopen in its old home - the former Martins newsagent's shop in St Martin's Street now being run by KP Stationers - but that will not be the end of its travels.

Its final destination will be in the refurbished KP Newsagent's shop in Market Place, when extensions which have been given planning permission by South Oxfordshire District Council have been built. However, that could take two years.

KP manager Ashley Kempson has already been named as the new sub-postmaster and will supervise the running of the post office.

The move has been welcomed by Wallingford Town Council and by traders' leader Elaine Hornsby as a way of revitalising business in St Martin's Street.

The post office in the Martins shop closed on July 30 last year after Martins refused to renew the lease held by Waitrose. The business closed along with the post office which was housed on the premises.

The town council, knowing of the planned closure, had negotiated with Post Office senior officials and managed to get a temporary building in Goldsmiths Lane car park. It opened on August 3, with mayor Betty Atkins first in line to buy a stamp.

That temporary one will close on Thursday, August 14, and the post office will return to its old building on Tuesday, August 19.

The post office will be under extra pressure following the closure of Crowmarsh post office. Crowmarsh was put on the closure list because of its proximity of Wallingford, although campaigners said even a new post office in the town would not be able to cope with the extra work.

Elaine Hornsby, chairman of Wallingford Business Partnership, said: "The move will revitalise the St Martin's Street area. Without the newsagent's shop, the post office and the attraction of the former Waitrose supermarket, trade in St Martin's Street has fallen because too few people have any incentive to walk down there.

"We know it may be for only a short time before it moves to Market Place but the extra foot traffic in St Martin's Street is to be welcomed."

Mayor Alec Hayton said: "It is good news the post office will have proper premises, but a great pity there will be a delay between the temporary building closing and the new premises opening."