Beverley MP 'will take a lot of convincing' over plan to relocate Beverley Post Office into W H Smith

Yesterday the Post Office announced a new deal with W H Smith to relocate up to 40 Post Offices into W H Smith stores in 2019, and for W H Smith to take over the running, on a franchise basis, of a further 33 Post Offices which are already sited on their premises but currently operated directly by Post Office.

Beverley branch is proposed to be franchised to the nearby W H Smith store on Toll Gavel.

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness said: “I do not understand how anyone who uses the main Post Office, as I do, could see the queues of people in there and believe these could be accommodated in W H Smith. It does not seem credible and I look forward to seeing what the Post Office has to say. It will take a lot of convincing to make me accept that we can have as good a service in W H Smith, given how important the main Post Office is to the town.”

Councillor Elaine Aird of St Mary’s Ward commented: “I think the plan to close Beverley’s main Post Office is ludicrous. It’s a very busy and well-used facility all day long, with not only residents making use of the many services provided, but the centre of town businesses use it for their banking, franking and parcel requirements. I fail to see how this large volume of work can be carried out in W H Smith which is, after all, a rather small shop.”