Opening date of new Post Office announced

The Post Office has confirmed the opening date of a new permanent branch in Oldham town centre. 

The town faced losing the service entirely after the WHSmith that operated it closed down in May. But negotiation between residents, local MPs, the council, and the Post Office managed to secure a temporary service desk located in the Spindles shopping centre from June, with plans to open a permanent site once a new postmaster was secured. 

Now the Post Office has done exactly that, with the temporary Post Master – who also operates the Bury branch – due to take over the position full-time. 

The new branch is due to open on October 9th at 1pm, at Unit 10 of the Spindles Shopping Centre. 

The new opening hours will be Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 6pm and Sunday, 10am to 5pm, providing a total of 64 hours of Post Office service a week. And the new site will be able to carry out additional services including driving licence photocard renewal, vehicle tax renewal, foreign currency and Post Office Travel and insurance.

Council leader Arooj Shah said: “A permanent post office in Spindles is a great vote of confidence in our town centre. I know how much people value having this service available, so it’s fantastic we can now guarantee its future. 

“We know that high streets and town centres all over the country are having to adapt with the times and changing demands. Oldham is no different, and it’s why we’ve focused so much on regenerating this area to give it a new lease of life. Getting this valuable community asset in place is just one part of this, with much more to come.”

Oldham MP Jim McMahon announced the plans for a new permanent Post Office in June. At the time, he said: “The building of the permanent branch is set for completion this autumn, a win for the people of Oldham who made their voices heard. Since the Post Office is a pillar of our community, we will continue to work with all partners to make sure Oldham town centre isn’t left behind when it comes to access to key services.”