Race to keep “vital” Solihull post office after McColl’s decides to shut shop

A Solihull estate is facing a race against time to keep a local post office after news that its branch would be shutting within weeks.

Councillors and local groups are keen to create a community-run post office to replace the outlet on Kingshurst Parade, which is expected to close on August 23.

A Post Office spokesman said: “The operator for Kingshurst Post Office resigned and the premises, that we do not own, are being withdrawn for Post Office on August 23.

“McColl’s, which operates the branch, has made the difficult decision to close the shop.”

The news sparked fears that residents could be left without a service for several years, given the looming redevelopment of the shopping area.

This would mean locals facing longer trips to Chelmsley Wood or Castle Bromwich and some worry that the loss of a banking service could leave residents more vulnerable to predatory “loan sharks”.

There is now a concerted push to put in place plans for a community-run service, possibly sharing a space with advice services.

Proposals are being drawn up amid fears the future building work will make it hard to find someone to fill the vacancy through the usual means.

Cllr Ben Groom (Green, Smith’s Wood) said the plans were in “the early stages” but would need to be put together rapidly.

“It’s the only place offering basic banking in a few miles radius of the area,” he said.

“Losing a resource like this can open residents up to the sort of person who will want to take advantage – loans sharks and things like that.

“There are 200 community post offices around the country, lots of them in more rural areas, so it would be quite an outlier in an urban setting.

“We have got five weeks of hard work to move things as quickly as possible.”

Both Labour and Green councillors are working with grassroots organisations to drive the idea forward and talks are also being arranged with Solihull Council, which owns the precinct.

Cllr Marcus Brain (Lab, Kingshurst & Fordbridge) said that the issue was above party politics and there was a desire to co-operate to find a solution within a “very tight timeframe”.

“It is one of the three linchpins we need to keep hold of, along with the Co-Op and the chemist.

“It’s important, as it will be four or five years before the redevelopment is done.”

The hope is that the campaign can avert the problems which arose at Chelmund’s Cross a few years ago, when the post office had also withdrawn ahead of the shopping parade being redeveloped.

Kingshurst is similar in that it has much lower level of car ownership than Solihull as a whole; many residents are elderly or depend on the bus to get about.

“There is a post office at Chelmsley Wood but for a lot of residents that may as well be a 100 miles,” said Cllr Groom. “They rely on this centre.”

Local resident Catherine Gallagher said: “I think a post office is needed.

“A lot of people don’t pay bills online, me for one. I pay my rent weekly at the post office and my council tax monthly and a lot of our elderly do too.

“It’s like a hub of the community. Don’t take that away from people.”

And Cyndy Davison said: “All the other ‘local’ post offices are too far away for a lot of our elderly population.

“I feel, very strongly, that a post office is vital for Kingshurst.”