Drop-in forum will discuss Lancaster Post Office plans

The Post Office is hosting a '˜drop-in' customer forum on proposed changes for the Lancaster Crown branch, providing people with the opportunity to discuss its plans.

The forum will be held on Tuesday June 14 in the Music Room, The Storey, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, from 4pm until 7pm, with people welcome to call in when they wish between these times.

The intention is to help inform customers of the details of the changes proposed for Lancaster Post Office and provide an opportunity to discuss these.

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The Post Office is proposing to move Lancaster Post Office branch from its current location in Market Street and create a new branch within the nearby WHSmith store at 21 Market Street, extending opening hours for customers, including Sunday opening, and continuing to offer the same wide range of services (with the exception of a cash machine).

Public consultation on the proposals runs until June 22 and customers can take part by phone, on-line or by post.

The proposals for Lancaster are part of nationwide changes the Post Office is making to help secure the viability of its services into the future and maintain its presence on high streets.

Roger Gale, general manager of the Post Office Crown Network, said: “We are committed to keeping our services on high streets which we know is hugely important to people.

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“We need to make changes so that we can continue to do that into the future.

“The way customers do business with us has changed – people want flexible and convenient choices of how they access our services, whether that is face to face at our branches or on the web. We are adapting to that and making sure we take the right course of action to sustain services for years to come.

“WHSmith already operates more than 100 Post Office branches from their stores in the UK and we’ve been successfully working with them for nearly ten years. They have a proven record of running Post Office branches with consistently high levels of customer service.”

Subject to consultation, the new Lancaster Post Office branch will have four serving positions, a mixture of one screened and three open-plan counters.

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Post Office opening hours would be 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and noon until 4pm Sunday. This means Post Office services would be available for a total of 55 hours every week, 9.5 more than are currently offered.

Existing staff at Lancaster current branch have the right to transfer their employment to WHSmith if they wish to do so, in line with TUPE legislation.

All options are being discussed with them individually so they can make informed decisions about their future and are supported in those decisions.

During public consultation the Post Office welcomes feedback on factors such as the location, the proposed premises, accessibility or community issues that customers would like considered before a final decision is made on the proposal. It is proposed the branch would move in October.

Customers can provide views during the consultation:

On the website: postofficeviews.co.uk

By phone: 03457 22 33 44 (Textphone 03457 22 33 55)

By post: FREEPOST Your Comments

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