Great news on second Post Office for Knaresborough
The work that has been going on behind the scenes to secure a second post office for Knaresborough has made real progress so now it's odds on for a new second post office within weeks.
This proposal is for a Post Office local model, located at the Chain Lane Co-op. This is a new type of post office, which operates an over the counter service rather than a dedicated post office counter, and already exists in other parts of the country. This will be a second Post Office for Knaresborough. There are no plans for the existing Post Office on the High Street to close.
Local MP Andrew Jones, who has been leading the campaign, said, "We are so nearly there. We desperately need a new second post office in Knaresborough, and this would be a real help. A Post Office Local offers nearly all the services of a main Post Office. A really good feature of a Post Office Local is the opening hours, as they are the same as the opening hours of the shop, and for Chain Lane Co-op that is 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday. I think this convenience will be welcomed."
Checking with the Co-op highlighted some "operational issues" still to be resolved, but they were working on these with the Royal Mail and hope to have them solved shortly. Bringing the different parties together to push for the new post office has been a team effort with lots of different parties invovled - Knaresborough Conservatives, local MP Andrew Jones, the Co-op and the Post Office. The action to bring a new post office to Knaresborough has even involved Andrew organising and attending a meeting in the House of Commons between the Co-op and the Post Office Minister.
Andrew continued, "Residents and businesses in Knaresborough have told me how much they needed a new post office. After having fought against post office closures, it is great to be able to work to bring a new Post Office to Knaresborough. I will do all I can to help the last few issues get resolved because I want to see a new post office in Knaresborough as soon as possible."
