New Post Office being delivered in Tenbury Wells

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has offered her support to local Post Office managers who are attempting to a new home for the service.

It follows confirmation that the current Post Office will temporarily close after Bowketts shut on May 4.

Advanced talks are ongoing to find a new retailer to take over the service to allow Post Office to fulfil its obligations to keep it in town.

Mrs Baldwin worked closely with management in 2015 to ensure that a service was preserved following the retirement of the sub postmaster and she was given guarantees on the permanent future of the local service in Tenbury.

Swiftly

She said: “There is a legal requirement for a post office in a town the size of Tenbury and the government subsidises the network so I look forward to hearing the Post Office’s plans to maintain the service for residents.

“Unfortunately, although the current post office service was expected to be continued under new ownership in its current location, that agreement looks to have fallen through, and Bowkett’s have now chosen to close the store down.

“I hope that this process is completed swiftly and we see a resumption of services as quickly as possible.”

The Post Office has becoming increasingly important following the closure of banks in rural areas, including Tenbury.

There was an announcement at the beginning of the year that Bowketts was set to close, but it was put on the market and a buyer was found to continue the business as a going concern.

However, just before the sale was due for completion in was revealed that the buyer had pulled out.

The Bowkett family said they had decided to sell the supermarket, which has been in the family for more than 110 years, as the two lead directors look to retire from the retail convenience sector.