MONMOUTH AM Nick Ramsay has welcomed news that the threatened closure of Usk Post Office has been averted and that the Bridge Street branch is to remain open, albeit with reduced hours.

 

The branch, which is used by over 600 people a week, was scheduled to close on September 26th when the current Post Mistress retired.

 

However, in a letter to Mr Ramsay the Post Office’s Area Network Change Manager, Neil Jenkins, has confirmed that from tomorrow (Tuesday) the branch will open from 9am-1pm and from 2pm to 5.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday, the branch being closed on Sundays and Mondays.

The present Postmistress has agreed to delay her retirement and will continue to operate the branch until March 31 2019 or to a date when the service is relocated to the community hub.

 

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Ramsay said: “I am sure this will come as a great relief to the people of Usk who were facing up to the double whammy of losing their Post Office as well as their banks.

 

“Post Offices play a vital role in the community and hopefully a long term solution will be put in place to ensure that the Usk Branch will remain open in the future.”