CUSTOMERS will be able to pay bills and send international letters seven days a week, until 10pm, when a Post Office is refurbished.
The branch in London Road, Purbrook, will close for two weeks from tomorrow for a refurbishment.
From February 21 it will open for an additional 72 hours a week – from 6am to 10pm – in line with the opening hours of One Stop which it sits inside.
The Post Office says the days of closures are over and 6,000 branches will be converting to new style branches in a three-year investment programme.
The Post Office regional network manager for south and east England is Mark Lawrence.
He said: ‘We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Purbrook and we are confident that the Post Office local service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.
He added: ‘This modernisation is part of a three-year investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office, that will see around half the Post Office network converting to new-style branches.
‘The investment marks a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.’
The new opening hours mean the trading hours will treble. In addition it will not close during lunchtime, as it currently does.
The refurbishment will create a new open-plan environment.
During the refurbishment the nearest alternative local offices will be in Purbrook Chase Precinct, Crookhorn Lane, and the main Post Office in Wellington Way, Waterlooville town centre.
John Briggs, the chairman of Purbrook and Widley Residents Association, welcomed the news because there were fears that it would close when a new Tesco opens later this year.
He said: ‘It sounds like an excellent idea as long as it is retained.
‘I’m sure there would be interest in doing things on Sundays and in the evenings, we need to see whether it proves viable.’
Customers will be able to use automated banking services, bill and budget payment schemes, Post Office card account, purchase Postal Orders and postage, send inland letters and packets (including Signed For and Special Delivery) and international letters.
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