- Move to 27 Eastover, Bridgwater, TA6 5AW
- Modern open plan retail environment
- Superior premises
- Saturday afternoon opening
- Full range of Post Office® services available
Post Office Ltd today confirmed it is to proceed with the move of Bridgwater Post Office from its current temporary location to new permanent premises at 27 Eastover. Bridgwater, TA6 5AW.
The new Bridgwater Post Office will have five serving positions, which will be a mixture of two screened and two open plan counters, offering the full range of Post Office products and services, and a Post Office serving point for use at the retail counter. The Post Office serving point is a new concept for delivering selected Post Office products and services alongside retail transactions.
The new branch will open for an additional five hours a week and include Saturday afternoon. Opening hours will be Monday to Saturday 09.00 – 17.30.
A date for the branch relocation will be confirmed in the near future.
The move comes as Post Office Ltd undertakes a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.
Post Office Regional Network Manager for Wales & West of England, Tony Jones, said: “We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Bridgwater and we are confident that the new branch will provide a permanent solution to safeguard Post Office services to Bridgwater. We believe this new office will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.”
He added: “The changes to the branch come as we undertake a three-year investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office, that will see around 6000 branches (about half the Post Office network) converting to new-style branches. The investment marks a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”
Sedgemoor District Council and Bridgwater Town Council welcomed the news.
Westover Ward councillors have been campaigning since the original temporary post office was set up on the Splash site and welcomed todays news.
Cllr Brian Smedley said “We are glad that the Post Office listened to the voice of the people of Bridgwater and chose not to move into the Sainsbury site. We’re glad that the temporary arrangement at Northgate is now to be dispensed with in favour of a more substantial permanent town centre site with better facilities. This site will help regenerate Eastover which badly needs something and remains close enough to the Westover side of the river to benefit the town centre as a whole. The people of Bridgwater were pretty united on this one and of of the key people who worked hard to achieve this was Westover resident Ken Trunks who personally collected 1,000s of signatures on the petition out on the streets in all weathers and without a doubt he should be invited by the Post Office to participate in the opening of the new location.”
Newly elected Mayor of Bridgwater, Dave Loveridge – who coincidently represents Eastover on Town, District and County – welcomed the positive outcome of the consultation. ”What an excellent way to begin my Mayoral term, with such an important piece of the town centre jigsaw – the Post Office – being re-located to Eastover, surely boosting trade and footfall. The joint efforts and support of the community has proven its worth – now we all need to make sure we use it.”
Bridgwater Post Office has been operating from a portacabin at Mount Street, West Car Park, Bridgwater, TA6 3ER, since October 2011. The Post Office, now independent of Royal Mail, is the largest retail network in the UK, with over 11,500 branches. It is also one of the fastest growing financial services companies and is developing its online and telephony services.