Westbury’s town centre Post Office was officially reopened by Mayor Cllr Jane Russ, restoring postal and banking services to the town centre after a closure of nearly two years.
The Post Office, located at 30 High Street, reopened this month after being closed since January 2023 following the closure of the Westbury McColl’s store. The closure occurred after the supermarket giant Morrisons, which acquired the McColl’s convenience store and newsagent chain in 2022, decided to shut down the Westbury location, including its post office, due to the store’s unprofitability.
The reopening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday 11th October, led by Mayor Jane Russ and the new postmistress, Ambika Kajanthan.
Huge difference
Speaking at the event, Cllr Russ expressed the importance of the Post Office to the town. “Westbury desperately needed a Post Office,” she said. “I want to thank Ambika for investing in her new business. It will make a huge difference to the lives of residents and businesses in Westbury and the surrounding area, allowing people to do their banking, send parcels, and so much more without having to travel elsewhere.”
Ambika Kajanthan, an experienced retailer who has lived in the town for five years, saw the pressing need for a new Post Office after personally feeling the impact of branch closures.
“As a Barclays customer, my nearest bank was a 40-minute drive away in Bath after the Warminster Barclays closed,” she explained.
“I didn’t have time to make that journey, and I knew many others were in the same position. So, I decided to reopen the Post Office in Westbury.”
Convenience store
In addition to the Post Office, Kajanthan has opened a Londis convenience store in the same location. “The community is delighted to have their Post Office back,” she said. “It’s a place where people can do their banking, send parcels, pay bills, and get travel money. I’m grateful to the town council and the Post Office for their support in getting the store open.”
The Post Office opening hours are: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. The Londis store is open daily from 7am to 10pm.
Antoinette Chitty, Post Office Network Provision lead, said, “We are delighted to have restored Post Office services to the High Street, Westbury, as we know how important a Post Office is to a community.
“It’s really good that this Post Office has opened before the busy Christmas period, but with all the services that a Post Office offers, there is a real need for the branch all year round.”
