FRUSTRATED residents in Alveston are still in in the dark over the reason behind their Post Office’s closure after months of waiting.

The branch, which is located in the Alveston Post Office and Store on Green Hill Parade, was temporarily closed in May due to “operational reasons”, but after month of waiting, is yet to reopen.

No prior notification of the suspension in service was made to residents or the parish council, with no details or updates having been made since.

The Post Office held a public consultation only two years ago over relocating the branch from the back of the store to the front.

Residents needing to use Post Office services will have to use the nearest alternative branch, the Thornbury branch on the High Street, whose fate also remains uncertain, after plans to relocate to a card shop in St Mary Centre fell through earlier this year, following the shop’s closure and a breakdown in negotiations.

An Alveston Parish Council spokesman said they were very keen to know what is going on and get the service back as soon as possible.

He said: “No-one has received any kind of notification to suggest it is closing down, but the temporary closure is causing difficulty to many of our residents who may have difficulty in making it over to Thornbury.

“The Alveston Post Office is very conveniently placed for many people in the village and we have already had a number of people ask why it has closed.

“The council concurs with the feeling of our parishioners that the sooner the problem is resolved, the better.

“We urge the Post Office to get it sorted as soon as possible.”

Postmaster Hari Jayanthan said that he hoped the Post Office would make a decision soon so the branch could reopen.

A Post Office spokeswoman said that the branch was temporarily closed due to “operational reasons”, and apologised for any inconvenience caused whilst they look for a solution.

She said: “We have a certain process that we have to follow with a temporary closure. Sometimes there is a necessary delay before we can communicate what is happening with a branch as is the case with Alveston.”

Regarding the Thornbury Post Office, she said that it is still being operated by the long-serving Postmaster while they looked for a suitable retailer with suitable premise to take on the branch as part of their branch modernisation programme, and that any proposal would be subject to public consultation.