Ravinder bucks PO trend

A Shrewsbury post office which closed last year along with the loss of more than 20 jobs is set for a return almost exactly a year later.

Only a day after the shock announcement that 28 post offices across the county are facing the axe as part of a national cash saving exercise, one Shropshire branch is bucking the trend and looking to a brighter future.

The post office based at the former Co-op store in Pensfold, Gains Park, closed on May 12 last year. A total of 22 people lost their jobs at the store including three within the post office.

But Ravinder Garcha, owner of the Nisa Local shop at Pensfold Shopping Centre, said his store would be opening a new post office counter on May 20.

Mr Garcha said that since he took over in October last year he had been talking to post office bosses about the possibility of restoring the branch for the community.

He said he was delighted that the "vital" service would be returned for local people.

Mr Garcha said: "Ever since I knew I was going to be taking over the premises I made links with the right people such as the development managers and area managers for the Post Office.

"From there I had my foot in the door for the application and they helped me through all the way. There is no reason for it to close. It will be a big missing piece of the jigsaw."

Mr Garcha said he believed the action by the post office to close up to 2,500 branches across the country was down to several factors.

He said one issue was the failure of some branches to offer modern services such as home phone, broadband and foreign exchange which brought in extra cash.

Mr Garcha said the new post office would be open six days a week and the decision would also create around three new jobs.