Closure-threatened Telford Post office “stays open”

A Post office in Telford that was threatened with closure will stay open and see a new subpostmaster start work next month, town councillors have heard.

The operator of Madeley Post Office resigned in the autumn, and the facility was expected to shut in November this year.

But Madeley Town Council clerk Phil Griffiths told members services will be retained at the Park Avenue site after the appointment, although the identity of the new subpostmaster and details about the attached store are to be confirmed.

Last year, town councillors unanimously backed a motion opposing the closure and a petition, started by a member of the public in response to the closure threat and titled “Save Madeley Post Office”, attracted more than 1,500 signatures.

Mr Griffiths told the town council’s March meeting: “I think we can be fairly sure that there will be a post office retained.

“A new subpostmaster will be in place some time next month. Contracts are in the process of being exchanged.”

Members asked about the shop and the employees who work there, but Mr Griffiths said the exact plans were not public knowledge yet.

Mayor Arnold England pointed out that it was a private commercial process and the town council was not involved.

“We will know more in the next few weeks,” Mr Griffiths said.

“But the good news and the thing to take away is that the post office services will be retained.”

At a previous meeting in October, town councillors backed a motion, tabled by Councillor Paul Watling, saying “access to a local post office is vital to residents of Madeley, particularly the elderly and most vulnerable” and resolving “to explore all viable options to retain Madeley Post Office for local people.

The Madeley branch is not owned by Post Office Ltd, but the company had appealed for interested franchisees to come forward.

In a statement accompanying the Change.org petition, June Campbell wrote: “It’s a busy, profitable branch providing a great service for the local community including postal services, vital banking services, foreign currency, driving license and passport renewals, pension payments and lots, lots more.”