Press Release

/

11October2013

PROPOSED NEWLOCATIONAND LONGER OPENING HOURS FOR HASTINGSPOST OFFICE

  • Opening hours would be extended byfour hours per week with service on Sundays
  • Modern open-plan branch in nearby premises
  • Improved accessibilitywith low-level serving counter and writing desks
  • Same wide range of Post Office products and services

The Post Office isproposing to move HastingsPost Office from its current location to createa modern open-planbranch with extended opening hours for customers.

The proposed new location for the branch isWHSmith, Queens Road, Priory Meadow, Hastings, TN34 1PH. This is230metres from its current site at 16 Cambridge Road, Hastings, TN34 1AA,and the Post Office will be inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a six-week public consultation, starting this Monday (14 October).

The move is part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed toensure our Post Office branches are sustainable, profitable and no longer reliant on Government funding. The modernisation programme will make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern, open-plan environments.

Hastings Post Officeiscurrently one of 369 Crown branches which are directly owned by Post Office Ltd. The vast majority of Post Office branches - over 10,000 - are successfully run by carefully selected third parties within their retail premises.

The Post Office’s priority is to ensure that it can provide the services that will meet customer needs, both now and into the future, and secure the long-term viability of the organisation and the network.

There will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of theproposed move ofHastings Post Office. Post Office Ltd will be working to ensure the needs of branch colleagues are met, whether that is a transfer to the new employer or redeployment in the Post Office. All staff have the legal right to transfer to the new operator if they wish under TUPE legislation.

Roger Gale, Crown Network General Manager,said: “We are committed to keeping a Post Office branch in Hastingsand to maintaining the same levels of service for our customers. We believe the best way for us to do this is to change the way we operate the branch, so if the move goes ahead it will be run byWHSmith High Street Ltd rather than by us directly.”

Subject to consultation, Hastings Post Office will have five serving positions following its move, in line with current and predicted levels of business. These will be a mixture of one screened andfour open-plan counters.Under the proposals, the relocated Hastings Post Office would offer the same wide range of products and services with the exclusion of an external ATM.

Post Office opening hours at the proposed new location would be 09:00-17:30 Monday to Saturday and 10:00-14:00 on Sundays. This means customers would benefit from four extra hours of service every week, with the branch open seven days.

WHSmith is one of the UK’s largest booksellers, stationers and newsagents, operating more than 1,200 stores, with an extensive reach across the UK and a strong presence on the high street. WHSmith has been successfully operating Post Offices within its stores since 2007 and currently run over 80 branches.

They have demonstrated that they will be able to successfully run the branch in Hastings, showing they can deliver excellent standards of customer service, with trained staff promoting products and services in a modern environment, over extended opening hours.

Recent Post Office research shows that customer satisfaction levels are just as high for customers visiting franchise branches as for those who access Post Office services via the existing Crown network.

During the six-week public consultation, Post Office Ltd welcomes feedback on issues such as the location, the proposed premises, accessibility, or community issues that customers would like considered before a final decision is made on this proposal. The consultation will close on 25November 2013, and the proposed month for the relocation isMarch 2014.

The Post Office will host a customer forum in the coming weeks, and everyone will be welcome to attend to hear more about the proposed relocation. The details of this event will be finalised soon.

During the consultation, submissions can be made through our online questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk, byFREEPOST Your Comments to Post Office Ltd, via email to , via the Customer Helpline on 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.

Customers can also register their views through the convenient questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk.

Customers are asked to quote branch code 006925 in all communications.

Ends

Issued by:

Post Office Press Office

1st Floor, 148 Old Street,

LONDON

EC1V 9HQ

Tel: 020 7012 3456 (24 hours),

Email:

Twitter: @PostOfficeNews

This change to the Post Office network is being carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice for changes to the network, as agreed with Consumer Focus, the national consumer organisation.

Hastings Post Office information sheet
Current location / Proposed new location
(subject to local public
consultation)
Address / 16 Cambridge Road
Hastings
TN34 1AA / WHSmith
Queens Road
Priory Meadow
Hastings
TN34 1PH
Post Office Opening
hours / Mon / 09:00 – 17:30
Tue / 09:30 – 17:30
Wed / 09:00 – 17:30
Thu / 09:00 – 17:30
Fri / 09:00 – 17:30
Sat / 09:00 – 17:30
Sun / Closed
/ Mon / 09:00 – 17:30
Tue / 09:00 – 17:30
Wed / 09:00 – 17:30
Thu / 09:00 – 17:30
Fri / 09:00 – 17:30
Sat / 09:00 – 17:30
Sun / 10:00 – 14:00
Products & Services / The same wide range of products and services will still be available including Post & Go Machines, but with the exclusion of an external ATM
Serving positions / There will be six serving positions in total, which will be made up of two screened and four open plan, (the total number of serving positions has been based on current and future predicted business levels),
Additional Facilities / A private consultation room for appointment based discussions around our extensive range of financial and telephony services.
Access and facilities / The proposed premises are located within a shopping centre, so the access is open plan and level. A low level serving counter, low level writing desk and hearing loops would be available at the proposed premises.
How far away is it? / 230 metres away from the current branch, along varied terrain.
Transport & parking at the proposed new premises / There is not a bus service between the current branch and the proposed new site, however public transport services are available to and from the surrounding areas, with a bus stop approximately 10 metres from the proposed new site which is served by a regular bus service.
There is a public car park at the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre where the proposed new premises are located.
Retail / Stationery, books and news
Local Public
Consultation starts / 14 October 2013
Local Public
Consultation ends / 25 November 2013
Proposed month of
change / March 2014