In March, I wrote to Post Office Ltd to receive assurances that there would be a continuity of a post office service in Oldham following the closure of WH Smiths in May. Today, I want to share an update with my constituents on the progress of this.
Constituents rightly raised concerns over accessibility and the need for the service to be in the town centre, with the closest branch in Coldhurst being hard for some to reach. I share these concerns, and raised with the Post Office that people in Oldham need a clear commitment that a post office will remain in the town centre with no gap in service while a replacement branch and postmaster was found.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ-๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, while a new permanent branch is built. This will be open in Unit 10 Town Square Shopping Centre, Oldham OL1 1XD from the 18th of June, and ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ.
It is also very welcome news that both ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ, limiting disruption or causing any confusion about where the service will be ran from. The only difference will be having a more basic service now while the full branch is established with the new postmaster.
The Post Office have been extremely cooperative in finding a sustainable outcome that meets the needs of our community, so I would like to thank them for working to reinstate this vital public service in our town.
Thank you to all constituents that have had their say either through social media, contacting my office or through the formal consultation. It has been inspiring to see how our community has come together to fight to keep the Post Office on our high-street and I hope you to will see this as a positive result.
For more please see the link below 
Jim McMahon OBE MP 