WALKDEN CENTRAL POST OFFICE SET TO MOVE AFTER 313 REPSONDED TO A PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Walkden Central Post Office branch on Edgerton Walk in the Ellsemere Shopping Centre is set to close at the end of the trading day at 5:30pm on Wednesday the 13th of November, the branch will then be reopened at its new location the following morning of the 14th of November, at Rashid's retail store situated at 23a on Bolton Road, Worsley, M28 3AX. The store will be renamed to Walkden Post Office.

This comes after the public were asked for their views and opinions via an online consultation over the past couple of months.

The branch will operate from a newly built dedicated open plan Post Office area located towards the rear of the store and customer access both into and within the store will meet Post Office Ltd’s own accessibility standards and all applicable legislation.

The new branch will be a bright, modern open-plan layout which will include a complete internal refurbishment to combine Rashid’s and the vacant unit next door.

A new shopfront will be installed to provide level access with an automatic door at the entrance. Externally the store front will include Post Office signage and an opening hours board.

It is said that the same range of services would still be available at the new branch.

In a public letter, Steve Blampied, Head of Directly Managed Branch Network for Post Office Limited, said,

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I’m writing to confirm that, following a period of local public consultation and review, we have made the decision to proceed with the proposal to move the above Post Office into Rashid’s retail store at 23a Bolton Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 3AX, where it will be operated by our new retail partner and be known as Walkden Post Office I would like to thank everyone who took the time to let us have their comments and provide information.

All the feedback we received helped us to better understand the views of customers and their representatives and this was taken into account, along with all other relevant factors, in making our decision.

A summary of the key issues raised in the consultation and our response to each of them is enclosed, along with an information sheet providing further details about the new branch.

After careful consideration of the feedback received, we remain confident that the new branch will continue to meet customer needs and deliver an excellent service, whilst securing the long-term viability of Post Office services in Walkden.

The current branch will close at 17:30 on Wednesday 13 November 2019, with the new branch opening at 09:00 on Thursday 14 November 2019. You can also find a copy of this letter on our website at postofficeviews.co.uk.

When entering the website you will be asked to enter the code for this branch: 071422 Posters will now be displayed in branch to let customers know about this decision.

The full details of the consultation can be found on this link: https://www.postofficeviews.co.uk/national-consultation-team/walkden-central-m28-3aa-071422/results/walkdencentralm283aa-decision.pdf