Post office fight delivers a move

ON the move . . . Greenfield Post Office

GREENFIELD Post Office will be moving to new premises after a successful campaign to keep it in the area.

Post Office Ltd has agreed a move to the newsagents further along on Chew Valley Road, near to Road End, after a statutory public consultation.

This follows the successful public campaign to keep the post office in Greenfield, led by former Oldham Council leader Richard Knowles and councillors Alan Belmore and John McCann.

The existing post office is being converted into a house so a new postmaster and new premises had to be found.

Postmistress Mandy Gorey (53) has been providing the service to the village for 17 years and will be staying on until the new premises are confirmed.

She said: "The people here are lovely. I'll be staying in the village so I will still see most of them. It has been lovely providing a service for the community. It's useful to have a post office in the village."

The Chronicle reported in April, 2016, how Saddleworth faced losing post offices in Greenfield and Dobcross under Royal Mail plans to centralise services to Oldham. A deal was struck to move sorting operations at Dobcross and Greenfield post offices to the Oldham delivery office in Hamilton Street.

Mr Knowles said: "It has taken many months of lobbying and a site meeting in the newsagents to obtain Post Office Ltd's agreement. The combination of our excellent newsagent (who still delivers newspapers) and the Post Office provides a viable future for both businesses. I am delighted for all residents in Greenfield that our campaign has succeeded."

Public consultation runs until June 23 and the proposed opening of the new premises is August or September.

Opening hours will be seven days a week: Mondays to Fridays 5am-6pm; Saturdays 5am-3pm and 5am-1pm on Sundays.