Post Office back five months after high street loss

News imagePA Media A red and white sign saying "Post Office" and "Bureau de Change" is hanging from a wall with another sign saying "postoffice.co.uk" alongside it. PA Media
Ipswich will regain a post office, months after its previous one was forced to shut

A high street has regained a post office five months after a shop it was operating from closed.

The new post office for Ipswich will reopen next month in the Sailmakers Shopping Centre, on Tavern Street.

The service will open in a fully refurbished unit and sell a range of items including cards and stationery. It will also offer banking services.

An experienced postmaster, with a branch in Northampton, has been appointed to operate the Ipswich postal service.

In 2017, the previous Ipswich branch moved from the Sailmakers shopping centre into the WH Smith store, which later became TGJones.

TGJones on Westgate Street, closed in June after the lease on the building was not renewed.

The return to the Sailmakers will see the branch offering the same range of services as before and will open six days a week.

News imageKelly McCormack/BBC A general view of the outside of the TGJones store in Ipswich. Large yellow sale signs can be seen in the front windows.Kelly McCormack/BBC
TGJones and the Post Office upstairs closed down in June

The new branch is approximately 170m (558 feet) from the previous branch, on mostly level terrain, the Post Office said.

Wendy Hamilton, Post Office retail change lead, said: "We know how important a Post Office is to the residents, businesses and visitors to Ipswich and we are delighted to be restoring service to the city centre and in time for the busy Christmas period."

The service said it would welcome feedback on access into and within the premises.

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