The closure of TG Jones in the Kings Chase Shopping Centre on November 24 also means the end of Post Office provision on Kingswood High Street.
The Post Office counters will close on November 18, however Bristol North East MP Damien Egan has vowed that he and his team will work hard to ensure a replacement branch is opened as soon as possible.
Approximately 1,500 people use the Post Office in Kingswood’s TG Jones each week. Post Offices provide innumerable essential services that go far beyond simply posting letters and parcels; from paying bills, handling passport queries and even dealing with banking duties, which is crucial now that so many high streets no longer have banks.
After meeting Post Office management, Bristol North East MP Damien Egan was assured that the company was looking into solutions for the Kingswood community. However, he said it was clear that the gap between the branch closing and a new one opening would be at least six months due to the time taken to fit out a new unit.
Mr Egan said: “I know many residents will be concerned by this news. As soon as I became aware of the risk to the King’s Chase branch, I raised the matter directly with Post Office management and pressed the case for retaining a Post Office presence in Kingswood. The Post Office engaged with me constructively and confirmed that it is looking to open a new branch, albeit not immediately.”
He added: “Kingswood is undergoing significant investment and regeneration, and maintaining access to key community services must be part of that future. Kingswood deserves accessible, convenient Post Office services, and I will continue making that case until a sustainable future is secured.”
South Glos Cllr Alison Evans said: “We have worked with the shopping centre management, Post Office representatives and other partners to try to prevent this closure, and we are extremely disappointed that these efforts have not resulted in the service being retained at King’s Chase.“Although we are pleased to hear that plans are being made for a new provision in Kingswood, we will continue to work with partners to ensure this provision is in place as quickly as possible and that it provides all of the services that residents and businesses have come to expect.”
Mr Egan asked the Post Office whether a temporary branch could be set up in Kingswood to bridge the gap but was told this was not possible due to there being branches in Hanham, Staple Hill and Fishponds.
When asked for comment, a Post Office spokesperson told Kingswood Voice: “We fully recognise the challenging trading conditions that TG Jones and many other high street retailers are facing at the moment. TG Jones had its Restructuring Plan approved by the High Court on 1 July, which includes seeking new commercial terms with landlords for the majority of their estate. Consequently, TG Jones is closing their Kingswood store and Kingswood Post Office, which it operates, is to close on Wednesday 18 November. We know how important our products and services are to the local community. The vacancy has already been advertised and we are reviewing applications. We will provide a further update on our plans as soon as we can.”
• Alternative Post Office branches include Mayfield Park, Kingsway and Warmley, plus Drop + Collect branches for pre-paid parcels and collections at Hanham Road and Anchor Road. Visit www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder to find opening times and services.