A CAMELFORD business believes ‘that they will be saving a vital community asset’ if plans to move Post Office into the store are finalised.

Stephens Home Hardware’s Bonnie Grills and business partner Sally Rickard are in talks with the Post Office about the move of services across the road from the local Spar shop, where the Post Office has been situated for over half a century.

Mrs Grills said: “The Post Office approached us because the owners are retiring. We were deemed the only suitable shop in the town that could host it. If we didn’t take it on then there wouldn’t have been any Post Office in the town with the services it has now.

“Having lost the three banks in the town (Natwest, Barclays and Lloyds) in the last couple of years, we feel that we’re saving a vital community asset.”

Mrs Grills added: “We looked into the whole thing and it was right for us. We’ve had someone guide us throughout the whole process as to exactly how to run it and go about things and we’re looking forward to seeing how it goes.

“However once we’ve signed the contracts there has to be a seven to eight week public consultation. But if we get through that we can’t wait to start. As well as that, we hope that it will encourage footfall. If people come into the Post Office they’re more likely to have a look around as well.”

For David Elliott, the current postmaster, it’ll soon be the end of a near 30-year long association with the Post Office.

Mr Elliott said: “Basically it’s a national policy of moving Post Offices into different stores to save money. This has been ongoing now for about four years. I could have retained it but I didn’t feel like it really made much financial sense. For them it’s all about being cost effective so we’ll see what happens over the coming weeks.”

A Post Office spokesperson, said: “We have been in discussion with our postmasters across the UK about modernsing Post Offices at their existing location or at new premises under our Post Office branch modernisation programme.

“We have just modernised the 7000th branch in the Government-backed modernisation programme which is securing Post Office services at the heart of communities and high streets for future generations and is providing customers with modern retail environments and longer opening hours.”

The Post Office said if the Camelford Post Office is relocated to Stephens Home Hardware, it would be a modern open-plan ‘local’ style branch with Post Office services delivered from two open-plan tills alongside the hardware store’s retail counter.

Services would be provided throughout the shop opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm; Saturday, 9am to 5pm. The branch would be open an extra nine hours and 30 minutes a week, including Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.

Suzanne Richardson, regional network manager, said: “We are making it easier for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking because we know how important these services are to local residents. We are confident that this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs. This modernisation is part of a major investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office and will secure services for the future.”

The Post Office is now inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a public consultation. During the public consultation, Post Office Ltd welcomes feedback on any issues customers would like considered before a final decision is taken on this proposal. The consultation will close on April 20.

Submissions can be made during the consultation by Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd, via email to [email protected], via the Customer Helpline on 03457 22 33 44 or Textphone 03457 22 33 55.

Customers can also share their views online through a questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 265555.