A POST office which closed without warning will reopen, the Oxford Mail can confirm – but there are still question marks over the missing details.
Marston Post Office closed its kiosk at Coscutter on Old Marston Road, apparently for the final time, in February – but did not tell any locals about the plans.
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One month on, there is still no sign of the post office reopening, but a spokesperson at the nationwide delivery service has now told the Oxford Mail that it is only ‘temporary’.
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They said: “We sincerely apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of Old Marston Road Post Office since 19 February.
“We understand and appreciate how much communities rely on our services. We would like to reassure customers that the decision to suspend services at any of our branches is never taken lightly.
“We take very seriously any decision to temporarily close a branch, and will only do so when it is warranted.”
The company refused to elaborate on the statement or give any indication on whether it would take days, months or years to reopen the Old Marston Road branch.
In 2017 the Marston post office announced it was expanding its services and opening for an extra 43.5 hours a week following a major makeover.
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The re-launched facilities were given the thumbs-up by Mick Haines, the local councillor, who said it had a particular significance to him as it came more than a decade after he took a petition to save the post office, singed by 1,200, to Downing Street.
It was in 2009 that he vowed to take his battle to keep the much-loved post office in the Costcutter all the way to the top, explaining: “At the time I wanted to make sure that this branch was on the safe side.”
He went on: “People count on it, the old people that live on Mill Lane count on it too.
“Everyone needs it, it is really well used.”
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He said that the site had become something of an unofficial community centre for residents to come together and socialise as well as conduct their day-to-day postal services.
Mr Haines also said that it had come as a relief to hear that the office was not closed indefinitely and that it was just a temporary measure.
On Twitter one concerned residents wanted answers.
Sebastian said: “Hello @PostOffice can you tell me what’s happened to our local post office in Marston, Oxford OX3 which has closed? Nobody seems to know when or if it is reopening.”
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The Post Office replied, urging him to keep an eye on the ‘run a post office’ section on their website to see when it was likely to open.
At the time of print the office was not advertised.
However a similar branch in a kiosk style at Underhill Circus in Headington is listed at the estimated cost of £5,000 to £10,000 a year.
The nearest branch is on Westlands Drive.
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