COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Pensioners want a new post office in Cheylesmore



Almost 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for a new post office in Coventry. Residents are urging authorities to grant another Post Office in Cheylesmore saying it is now getting "difficult" for them to access other branches.

Owner of the local Budgens, situated along Daventry Road, has started a petition to get a branch set up in his shop. Jack Rajan, 43, has collected hundreds of signatures following complaints from residents in the area.

Cheylesmore is now left with one post office following the closure of two branches in recent years. Residents have voiced concerns about the 'overcrowding' in the branch.

They say the queues are too long with too few staff to cater to customers who use the services daily. Pensioners have also complained about the distance of other neighbouring post offices, which they say are difficult for them to get to.

David, 86, who did not give his surname, said he "dreads" the day he will no longer be able to drive as he will no longer be able to get to other branches. He told CoventryLive: "I dread the day I'll not be able to drive and I can see that coming very soon so my access to the post office will not be very good at all.

"If I walk down to the post office, the service is very nice indeed but the shop is always overcrowded and the queue too long. We do need a second post office in the area, and this is an ideal site for it.

"There are so many old age pensioners who are looking for an alternative."

Other residents have aired similar concerns. Barry, 77, said: "We used to have a choice of Baginton Road and Cheylesmore which has closed.

"It has become quite difficult to get post office services, the office in Baginton is giving a good service but they are vastly overburdened.

"When I was there there was a long queue out into the street on a wet day its not suitable. We do need a post office in this area and I give it my wholehearted support."

Sonia, 75, told CoventryLive: "Unless people have transport they cant get to a post office, the nearest one is on Baginton Road. The staff in there is very limited.

"I stood in there yesterday and queued for 20 mins outside in the cold. It's just horrendous. and there are lots of people who don't have cars that cant get there.

"I've got transport so I'm lucky, but I do take a friend of mine who's older who hasn't got transport, and that's the only way she can get to a post office."

Now, Jack is determined to set up a post office in his shop so locals can access services near them. He is urging the Post Office to open up a vacancy in Cheylesmore so he can apply and set up a branch.

Jack has collected nearly 1,000 signatures from residents, and hopes this will bring attention to the problem he says many are facing with post office services. Jack, 43, told CoventryLive: "There used to be three post offices in the area. Two were closed, one of them closed about six months ago.

"That used to be the hub of Cheylesmore. Now there is only one available one in Baginton Road and that post office is hectic for residents to get to.

"They are not built for that huge crowd to access their services, so we are trying our best to get a post office in this location. We've manually collected around 700 signatures and over 200 signatures on websites.

"It's very vital for elderly people who can't their pension money out and for this area, they need at least a minimum two post offices. For post office you can only apply if a vacancy comes. They have not opened up any vacancies.

"We are requesting for the post office to open up a vacancy and consider us. The services they provide cannot be covered by one small post office, they have to consider that they need another post office in this location."

Click here to sign the petition.

Coventry Post Office set to re-open in September after residents' petition



A Post Office in Coventry is set to re-open in September at a new location on Daventry Road in Cheylesmore, after local residents ran a petition about the lack of access to postal services.

Previously, Cheylesmore had three post offices within the area, which all closed, but now the new Post Office will open at local shop Budgens that will help restore services to the area. The re-opening date is still set to be finalised.

Owner of local shop Budgens, Jack Rajan, who collected over 1,000 signatures for the petition, said it was vital for the elderly people to have access to postal services.

He previously told CoventryLive: "It's very vital for elderly people who can't take their pension money out and for this area, they need at least a minimum two post offices."

The new branch will have a Post Office counter, alongside the retail counter for the convenience store, which will provide 104 hours of Post Office services a week, which will be open everyday.

There will also be a wide automatic door with level access and adequate space for wheelchair users, plus the proposed new branch will be approximately 700 metres away from the old branch, with limited forecourt parking and additional customer parking available off Dillotford Avenue.

Post Office Network Provision Lead, Anne Murphy, said: "We are delighted to soon be restoring a Post Office to this area as we know how important a Post Office is to a community. The branch’s opening hours will make it very convenient for customers to visit. We are keen to restore this branch to the area as soon as possible, so we have decided to go ahead with our plans."

The proposed opening hours for the Post Office will be:

• Monday to Saturday from 6:30am - 9:30pm
  
• Sundays from 7am-9pm

Location: Budgens, 50 Daventry Road, Coventry, CV3 5DP

The opportunity to give feedback will close on Thursday August 3. Customers can share their views during the consultation online here with the branch code 180205.

Submissions can also be made via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, by post to Freepost YOUR COMMENTS, or by telephone 03452 66 01 15 or Textphone 03457 22 33 55.

Coventry Post Office's reopening date has been confirmed



Daventry Road Post Office's reopening date has been confirmed. The store will re-open on Monday, September 18 at 1pm at a new, nearby, location – Budgens, 50 Daventry Road, Coventry, CV3 5DP.

This will restore Post Office services to the area after the closure of the branch at 201 Daventry Road, Coventry, CV3 5HE, in June 2022. There will be a Post Office counter alongside the retail counter of the convenience store which is due to open in September.

The Post Office opening hours will be: Monday to Saturday: 6.30am – 9.30pm; Sunday: 7am – 9pm. This will provide 104 hours of Post Office service a week for the convenience of customers.

Anne Murphy, Post Office Network Provision Lead, said: “We are delighted to soon be restoring a Post Office to this area as we know how important a Post Office is to a community. The branch’s opening hours will make it very convenient for customers to visit.”