Chingford Hatch post office reopens

Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith cut the ribbon today as Chingford Hatch regains its post office after a year of being closed

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, cut the ribbon today (19th September) at the official opening of the new Chingford Hatch Post Office inside Premier on Hatch Lane.

The new postmaster is Subadaran Koneshwaran. He took over the former Threshers off-licence store in 2010. Then, in 2014 the shop next door became available and he took over the premises for groceries. Two years ago, he got permission to remove the wall to make one large, refurbished, shop into a Premier covenience store.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “I am delighted to be performing the official opening of Chingford Hatch Post Office. I want to thank Subadaran Koneshwaran for taking on the branch and restoring vital Post Office services to the area. It is great that he has invested in his retail business over the past 14 years, which has really benefitted the community.”

The post office will be open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm. This relocation to the Premier store has restored Post Office services to the area after the temporary closure of the branch at 19 Hatch Lane, last July, due to the resignation of the postmaster.

This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest’s free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

Postmaster, Subadaran Koneshwaran, said: “I am delighted to have opened Chingford Hatch Post Office. I applied to take on a Post Office two years ago, but there was already one in the area at the time, it’s now worked out as I have filled the vacancy.

“My customers are really happy that there is a Post Office in the store and I have seen lots of new faces come in to use the Post Office, which is great.

“The branch is open six days a week and there’s good parking in the area, making it easy for people to pop in with their parcels, do their personal and business banking, pay bills, top up a travel money card, buy Euros at the counter and order other currencies. Customers have the choice of Royal Mail, Parcelforce or EVRI services to send and collect parcels.”

Mohammed Islam, Post Office Network Provision Manager, said: “We are delighted to have restored a Post Office to this area as we know how important a Post Office is to a community.”

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month.  £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else.

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations