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A storekeeper is hoping the major restructuring of The Post Office will be an opportunity for smaller post offices to be installed in existing shops.
The Post Office has announced transformation plans, which involve the potential closure of 115 branches, including Grimsby’s on Victoria Street South. All are its larger crown branches, those owned by the company directly.
Throughout northern Lincolnshire there are sub-post offices in existing shops, which are not included in the list being considered for closure. There are sub-post offices serving, Binbrook, Tetney and Holton-le-Clay. But North Thoresby does not have a service.
The GoLocal shop on High Street, did have a post office until a few years ago and villagers still refer to it as “The Post Office” but it has no postal services, apart from the post box stuck on the front of the shop.
It was the second busiest sub-post office in northern Lincolnshire before it closed a couple of years ago, according to residents. North Thoresby is about to have a further 200 new homes built.
Shopkeeper, Hardas Odedara, known to his customers as “Harry” said the village, especially its elderly residents, would benefit from having the service in the village. He runs the store with his wife Santok.
He said it would avoid them having to travel to Grimsby or Louth for postal services and pensions. “We get so many customers and they all want to see a post office back in the village,” he said.
He added: “It used to be a sub-post office and people still call us the post office. But all we do now are parcels for collection. It is a shame for customers that they have to go to Louth or Tetney or Binbrook.”
“If we had a post office, we could do pensions, banking and parcels and sell stamps. It would be really helpful to people. We have just started a parcel drop-and-collect service with The Royal Mail and hope we can expand further to give postal services,” said Hardas.
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Supporter Nigel Gallop said: “It would be a good idea. North Thoresby is an older village in terms of its older population. It is also a growing village with 198 homes due to be built from next year, so it would help serve them too.”
A post office spokesperson said it was down to the retailer to apply to The Post Office with a business case and support from residents.
They said: “The Go Local store very recently took on one of our new branch formats – a ‘Drop and Collect’ branch. This is where customers can drop or collect their prepaid parcels, as well as pay bills at the store.”
