Aylesbury MP warns of six-month delay to potential new Post Office openings after recent closures
Aylesbury’s MP has cautioned that its town centre may be without a central Post Office counter for around six months.
Laura Kyrke-Smith confirmed on Friday that the opening of a new post office in central Aylesbury is likely to be months away.
Aylesbury town centre’s only Post Office counter closed a month ago, when the TG Jones store it was situated in, ceased trading.
Aylesbury lost another Post Office this summer when the counter inside the Morrisons Daily store in Bedgrove closed alongside the convenience store.
Since learning of the Post Office closure’s Ms Kyrke-Smith has led discussions with the service in attempt to accelerate the opening of a new counter in the town centre.
The Post Office also previously confirmed to The Bucks Herald that it had held talks with parties interested in opening a Post Office service in Aylesbury town centre.
On Friday, the Buckinghamshire-based politician met with the Post Office minister, Kate Dearden, to discuss the town’s shortage.
“While the Government does not direct Post Office Ltd in decisions about specific branch locations, I am assured that the company is working to secure a replacement to the branches as quickly as possible,” Ms Dearden said.
However, Aylesbury’s MP also warned that a Post Office closure could remain months away. She added: “The latest I’ve heard from the Post Office themselves is that it takes around six months for a new branch to open, to find and approve an operator, get facilities and property works finished and train staff.
"So I am not hopeful that we will get a solution quickly but I will keep pushing for progress.”
She is also continuing to signpost her constituents to existing Aylesbury Post Office counters. Aylesbury still has Elmhurst Post Office, Meadowcroft Post Office, and Parton Road Post Office, serving people within the Aylesbury area.
A number of residents have written to The Bucks Herald lamenting the fact that a town as big as Aylesbury currently has no Post Office service within its town centre.
Across the UK a number of counters have closed in recent months as a result of TG Jones and Morrisons decisions to close dozens of high street and village convenience stores.