PEOPLE in Jericho are ‘horrified' that Walton Street Post Office has shut for good, according to a city councillor.
“It’s been there for as long as anyone can remember,” said Susanna Pressel, Labour city councillor for Jericho and Osney.
The branch closed temporarily on March 23 due to the coronavirus lockdown, but the Post Office has now confirmed that the branch will not reopen.
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It said: “Unfortunately the premises have now been withdrawn for Post Office use.
“The provision of a Post Office service to our customers in the local community is important to us, and we will continue to work hard to restore services in the area as soon as possible. We would welcome any applications from potential retail partners interested in running a branch locally on our behalf.”
Ms Pressel added: “People in Jericho are horrified to hear that their post office has closed down.
As well as the obvious mail services, it provided help with driving licences, other licences and financial services. It was very much part of the community.
“ There is another post office at 17 Woodstock Road, but that is far enough away to be difficult or impossible for some older people to access on foot.
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“First we were told at the end of April that it was closing temporarily, because of the virus.
“ Now we hear that it has been ‘withdrawn for Post Office use’. No reason was given.
“They are advertising it as a vacancy, so the hope must be that someone quickly comes forward to take it over. Ideally it should be modernised, because the interior was not in a good state, but Jericho is such a friendly place that a new manager would certainly be welcomed with open arms and be very happy there.
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"If that doesn’t happen, I hope the Post Office will at least open an outlet in a nearby shop – perhaps in the Co-op, as they have in the Summertown Co-op. We definitely need a post office in Jericho.”
John Mair, who lives in Jericho and has organised a series of one-day street fairs in Little Clarendon Street, said the corner shop had sold sweets and stationery but was ‘not well stocked’.
He added: “There was a shop up front and the post office at the back but I don’t think it’s been doing particularly well for a while.
"This is a shame for Jericho but at least the St Giles Post Office in Woodstock Road is not too far away."
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