Why move a busy post office?

NOTTINGHAM is always changing. It is one of the many good things about the city that it never stands still.

Every day we carry stories that indicate that and today is no exception.

There is the couple who want to create the “Betty’s of Nottingham” after the world-famous Harrogate tearoom.

Then there is the council admitting that there is much to do with Old Market Square but making a commitment to do its best, funds allowing.

But the biggest news for regular visitors to the city centre is undoubtedly that the main post office in Queen Street is to close and is likely to reopen in Whsmith.

This continues a long-running programme by the Post Office where it closes down smaller branches and reopens them in other shops.

Whsmith is currently running 135 post offices across the country and there are plans for 40 more to move next year. This makes sense when an office is threatened with closure because it is not used enough. So rather than lose out altogether, the service is maintained.

No doubt there will be reasons which the Post Office will deem sound but it does seem peculiar on the face of it to close the Queen Street office, which always seems to be busy and has a ticket system to ensure that it deals with its high footfall fairly.

One plus point is that the offices in shops open longer but that is something that the Post Office itself could have offered by... opening longer.

At least we are not losing the service.