Oxenhope villagers to vote on plans to return post office services at Co-op store (From Keighley News)

Oxenhope villagers to vote on plans to return post office services at Co-op store

8:00am Monday 28th January 2013 in Keighley By Chris Young

Seventeen months after its post office shut, villagers in Oxenhope have been told the service could soon return.

The Post Office has proposed a new service in Oxenhope’s Co-Operative food shop in Station Road, and will ask villagers for their opinions on the plan during the next month.

The original post office closed in June 2011 after the former postmaster, Stephen Taylor, retired and no buyer was found for the business. The building has since become a house.

Now a six-week public consultation has begun about a proposed in-shop service that will be open from 7am to 10pm.

Adrian Wales, Post Office Regional Network Manager for Central England, said: “We understand how important having a post office is to residents in Oxenhope, and we are pleased to be able to restore the service.”

Opening hours, matching the shop rather than traditional post office hours, offers customers an extra 59 hours a week to access products and services, seven days a week.

The announcement follows months of campaigning by Oxenhope Parish Council to have some sort of service return to the village.

Richard Cudsin, of Oxenhope Community Association, said: “A lot of older people used the post office to get their pensions because they didn’t have bank accounts. They have to get picked up and taken to other towns, so it will be good to have a post office back.”

The consultation closes on February 26. Submissions can be made by Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd, via e-mail to comments-@postoffice.co.uk, by phone on 08457 223344 or Textphone at 08457 223355.