Market Drayton post office reopens in former town hotel
Market Drayton's post office has reopened in an historic building that was for generations a well-known hotel.
The post office has moved from Queen Street into the Grade II listed Corbett Arms Hotel on High Street.
The hotel's owner, businessman Maroof Shah, says he is delighted the doors have finally been opened to customers after a long wait.
He said: "It is great for us to be able to open the post office and it is good that there has finally been progress with the building.
"Now the post office is here the hotel will start to become a focal point in the town again, with customers coming in to use the services.
"It has been quite a long journey to get to this and we have had our fair share of hiccups along the way, but this is good for the hotel and good for the town."
The new post office was supposed to open in the former hotel last August but was delayed because the building work was not complete.
Kath Brown, a Market Drayton town councillor, says the move will help bring life back into the High Street area of the town.
She said: "This is a really good thing and I am glad it is opened.
"It will open the town up a bit because that side can be a little dead with people not venturing there.
"But now people will have a reason to go that side of town and will look into other shops there and breath a bit of life into the area.
"Its brilliant for the town to see things opening again.
"Now the post office is open it will give the hotel owners a chance to progress with other plans they have for the building."
The move from its previous building is part of the Post Office's modernisation programme that promises longer opening hours.
The move is part of an overall £800,000 scheme to rejuvenate the hotel and install a coffee shop and children's nursery in the old coach house.
Mr Shah, who is also boss at the town's Nisa supermarket in Dalelands West, snapped up the building for £235,000 more than three years ago.
Adrian Wales, Post Office regional network manager for central England, said: "We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Market Drayton 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."
