Post Office is checking in at Market Drayton hotel
Plans to move a Post Office into a former hotel have been given the go-ahead.
Market Drayton businessman Maroof Shah has been given permission by Shropshire Council to move the Post Office in Queen Street into the grade II-listed Corbet Arms Hotel.
It is part of an £800,000 scheme to create a hotel, restaurant and leisure complex in the boarded-up hotel in High Street.
Mr Shah, who is boss at the town's Nisa supermarket in Dalelands West, snapped up the building for £235,000 more than two years ago and plans to do the work in three stages.
In the plans submitted to Shropshire Council, the ground floor would house the Post Office and a coffee shop, and the rooms upstairs would be renovated and reopened.
Eighteen letters about the plans were sent out to neighbours in January, but no comments were received by the council.
Market Drayton Town Council also raised no objections.
Shropshire Council officers gave their approval using delegated powers on Friday.
A design and access statement on behalf of the applicant said: "Mr Shah wishes to refurbish the building to the original condition externally and move his Post Office operation in Queen Street to the ground floor giving the building a new lease of life."
All five staff from the Post Office are expected to move to the new site.
The current branch is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 12.30pm on a Saturday. Under the plans it will stay open until 6pm weekdays and 5.30pm on a Saturday.
