The Post Office has announced that it will host a customer forum on the proposed relocation of Melksham Post Office. The forum will take place at the Kings Arms, Market Place, on Thursday 9th January.
The customer forum will function as a drop-in information session, starting at 4.30pm and running until 8.30pm.
The intention of the forum is to inform customers of the details of the proposal to move Melksham Post Office from its current location to create a modern open-plan branch with extended opening hours for customers.
The proposed new location for the branch is 6-8 Bank Street, Melksham, SN12 6LG. This is just 250 metres from its current site at 31 Church Street, Melksham, SN12 6LU. The Post Office has invited customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in an ongoing public consultation that started on 27th November.
The Post Office says, The move is part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to ensure Post Office branches are sustainable, profitable and no longer reliant on Government funding. The modernisation programme will make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern, open-plan environments.
“Melksham Post Office is currently one of around 370 Crown branches directly owned by Post Office Ltd. The vast majority of Post Office branches – more than 10,000 – are successfully run by carefully selected third parties within their retail premises.
“The Post Office’s priority is to ensure that it can provide the services that will meet customer needs, both now and into the future, and secure the long-term viability of the organisation and the network.
“There will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of the proposed move of Melksham Post Office. Post Office Ltd will be working closely with colleagues to ensure their needs are met whether that is a transfer to the new employer or redeployment in the Post Office. All staff have the legal right to transfer to the potential new operator if they wish under TUPE legislation.”
Roger Gale, Crown network general manager said, “We are committed to keeping a Post Office branch in Melksham and to maintaining the same levels of service for our customers. We believe the best way for us to do this is to change the way we operate it, so if the move goes ahead it will be run by Crab & Andrews Retail Ltd rather than by us directly.”
Subject to public consultation, the new Melksham Post Office would have four serving positions. These would be a mixture of one screened and three open-plan counters. The same wide range of Post Office services would be available. Opening hours at the proposed new location would be 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Saturday. This means customers would benefit from 14 extra hours of service every week.
Crabb & Andrews offer greeting cards, stationery, packaging and confectionery, and currently operate two Post Office branches from within their stores in Bristol. They say they regard their post offices as vital to community services.
“We have demonstrated that we will be able to successfully run the branch in Melksham, delivering excellent standards of customer service, with trained staff promoting products and services in a modern environment, over extended opening hours.”
Recent Post Office research shows that customer satisfaction levels are just as high for customers visiting franchise branches as those who access Post Office services via the Crown network.
The Post Office’s customer forum on the proposed move will take place at The Kings Arms on Thursday 9th January, starting at 4.30pm. It will run as a drop-in information session, with all members of the community and local representatives invited to come along.
During the public consultation, Post Office Ltd welcomes feedback on issues such as the location, the proposed premises, accessibility, or community issues that customers would like considered before a final decision is taken on this proposal. The consultation, which would usually run for six weeks, has been extended by 10 calendar days to account for the Christmas and New Year holiday period, so it will close on 20th January 2014.The proposed month of move is March 2014.
Submissions can be made during the consultation through their online questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk, by FREEPOST Your Comments to Post Office Ltd, via email to comments@postof fice. co.uk, via the Customer Helpline on 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.
Customers are asked to quote branch code 010548 in all communication.
