IT WAS a red letter day for Leamington Post Office with a move back to its permanent site.
A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official reopening of the post office on Wednesday (March 1) with Warwick District Council’s Chair Coun Mini Kaur Mangat wielding the scissors.
Leamington Post Office had to move temporarily from 32 Bath Street in June 2020 because of structural damage to the roof, which caused flooding inside the premises.
And while vital repairs were undertaken, WDC offered the use of a space in Leamington Town Hall as a pop-up Post Office with two counters, so it could continue to provide essential Post Office services in the town centre.
To show their appreciation to WDC, Postmaster Ketan Pau and Company Officer, Rushin Dattani, invited Coun Mangat to perform the official re-opening ceremony to celebrate its return to Bath Street.
Rushin Dattani, who manages the Post Office and shop, said: “When it rained, we had flooding inside the shop on a few occasions, so we knew that crucial repairs were needed. It was however vital that we continued to provide essential services to the community, particularly as this happened during the pandemic when lockdown restrictions were still in place. We were therefore extremely grateful that the council were able to find us a temporary home in the centrally located town hall while these complicated repairs took place.”
Coun Mangat added: “The many services that the Post Office provides are essential to our local community. It was therefore important for us to step in quickly to find alternative town centre accommodation for the Leamington Post Office while their building was out of action. We wish them every success on their return to Bath Street and hope our strong partnership will continue.”
The opening hours for the Leamington Post Office are now Monday to Frida, 9am to 5.30pm and Saturda, 9am until 12.30pm, which is an extension to those provided at the Town Hall.
Anne Murphy, Post Office Network Provision Lead, said: “We are delighted to be able to return Leamington branch to its permanent location after necessary repairs. We are very grateful to Warwick District Council who helped us to provide an interim Post Office solution at the Town Hall, which allowed us to maintain Post Office services in this vicinity.”
