Second Post Office for Portishead?

A SECOND post office could be opened in Portishead - following pressure from town leaders.

A business case for a new post office in the town has now been drawn up by Post Office representatives and submitted to head office for consideration.

A decision is expected within the next two months.

The move follows increasing calls from councillors and residents for a second outlet in Portishead as the town's population continues to soar.

Portishead Town Council wrote to Royal Mail Group, which is responsible for Post Office Ltd, last year asking for consideration to be given to opening up a second facility.

Portishead Town Council chairman, Councillor Reyna Knight, then organised a meeting with Post Office network development manager, Tim Nickolls, to explain the growing need for a second post office in the town.

Mrs Knight handed more than 30 letters from residents to Mr Nickolls along with details of the project population growth in the town.

Mr Nickolls has now confirmed a business case for a new post office in the town has been submitted to Royal Mail chiefs.

He added that the future of the Post Office was more secure after the Government announced funding of £1.34 billion over the next four years.

Mr Nickolls added: "I have not got any guarantees that a second post office in Portishead will happen, but I have put together a submission based on the facts and population figures and it has been submitted to Post Office Ltd for consideration."

Currently a post office service runs from McColls in the High Street, but as there are only four counters at the store, long queues often form and spill out into the street.

Some residents who have tired of waiting have even been forced to travel to other towns and villages to access Post Office services.

The town, which has a population of around 22,000, used to have a main post office in the High Street and two sub post offices at Redcliffe Bay and West Hill.

Both the sub offices were closed in July 2005, despite a public campaign to save them.

The High Street post office was also closed, although the sorting office remains, and moved to a local newsagent in the town centre.

When that closed, the service was relocated to McColls.

The population of Portishead has grown massively over the past several years due to the massive regeneration of the town's docks.

When all the developments are complete, the population is expected to soar to around 30,000 - making Portishead the second largest town in North Somerset.

Town councillors had asked supermarket giant Sainsbury's to include a post office counter as part of their store development at Serbert Way.

Mrs Knight said: "I have been campaigning for a long time for another Post Office for Portishead.

"I am pleased that at last the situation in Portishead is being taken seriously and hopefully, with Government backing, we will get a second post office in the town.

"At the moment residents often travel out of Portishead to the surrounding towns and village to access post office services.

"The current post office in the High Street fulfils a need but it is not adequate for a town the size of Portishead."