City centre Post Office shop closure 'a disaster'...

[dutchman]

Coventry residents look likely to be left without a city centre post office service as the shop it operates from is to close.

TG Jones in West Orchards Shopping Centre will shut in June, a Post Office spokesperson said, with the date to be finalised.

Closure plans for many TG Jones stores, previously WHSmith, were announced earlier this month.

Andy Talbot, senior asset manager at the centre said not to have a post office in the city centre was "a disaster". His team was talking to potential franchisees, he added. The Post Office said they knew how important the service was to a community and the vacancy was being advertised.

"I think we've know for a while that there's been a risk TG Jones would close," Talbot said.

"However, we weren't told officially, we were only told by the staff in store that they had been told that their last day in store was the 26 June.

"It's absolutely gutting to be honest.

He said the centre was in discussions with Post Office operators and had offered them smaller shops.

"Whoever gets the franchise from Post Office Counters, we will then do a deal with them and will save the post office here in the city of Coventry."

Having the service in the centre was a "massive footfall driver" and so it was important to keep that service, he said.

"Not to have a post office is a disaster," he added.

He said his team was also talking to other retailers to filling the space after TG Jones departed.

A Post Office spokesperson said the shopping centre lease was ending and a suitable new lease had not been agreed.

"We know how important a Post Office is to a community and the vacancy is advertised... In the interim there are alternative Post Office branches at Radford, Hillfields, Earlsdon and Westhill."