New post office hope at newsagents

The Post Office is proposing to reopen Warton Street Post Office in the long-established Croft’s Newsagents – with extended opening hours – and is inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a six-week public consultation.

The new branch would replace the office formerly situation in Bamforth’s Stores, a little along Warton Street, which closed last October after a long battle to keep it open.

Should the move go ahead, the branch would open from 6am to 6.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 6am to 7.30pm on Wednesday and Saturday and 6am to 1pm on Sunday - a total of 38 hours a week more than were offered by the former Warton Street branch.

Tony Croft, who has runs the newsagents with wife Elaine for the last 27 years, said: “It’s a great opportunity and it will be good to have post office services back in Warton Street.

“We hope to hear next month and it would entail some major alterations inside the shop with the new service coming into effect in June.”

The proposed move has the backing of former Warton Street postmaster Mark Bamforth, who said: “I am delighted that Crofts is in line to take over. It’s the ideal location.”

Troy Gardner, Post Office regional manager, said: “We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Lytham and we are confident that this new modern Post Office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.”

The consultation will close on April 22 and submissions can be made until then by Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd.