CHIPPING Sodbury’s Post Office is moving, the Gazette can reveal.

The branch on Horse Street will close this summer after the owners of the building, who lease it to current postmasters Tim and Caroline Green decided to sell. It will reopen a day later within off licence Cotswold Vintners.

Chanmugam Mohan, who bought the specialist wine and spirits merchants three years ago, applied to take over the branch to help support his own business and safeguard an important facility for the town he has come to love.

“A Post Office is so important, especially in a town with a lot of retired and elderly people,” he said. “I am very pleased and proud to be able to keep a Post Office in Chipping Sodbury and provide a service for the people of this town.”

Other businesses in the town were approached to take the Post Office but either declined or were unsuitable.

Mr Mohan, who moved to Chipping Sodbury from London with his wife Saru and their two young sons, saw an advert online and decided it would be good for his own business.

“There was only day left to apply but I was accepted and now there will be a six-week consultation but we are looking to open in August," he added.

“It is a good location here, there are no steps into the shop whereas the current Post Office can be difficult to get into for people in wheelchairs or with pushchairs because of the steps, and there is a new dropped kerb right outside.

“I can’t see why anyone would object but no-one else would take this on and if the Post Office closes people will have to go to Yate instead.”

Current postmaster Tim Green will move with the branch and still work behind one of two counters serving customers. His wife Caroline said they were pleased to see the branch stay in Chipping Sodbury.

"We wish him well, he is very motivated," she said. "There is no step at the vintners so access will be better and the Post Office will still be in Sodbury and in the main street."

The vintners already sells everyday essentials and when the Post Office moves in it will also offer banking for Lloyds, Barclays, Natwest and Santander customers, a welcome addition to the town following news that Lloyds is shutting its High Street branch and Natwest is drastically reducing its opening hours. Shoppers can also take out cash and the Post Office will be open during shop hours, Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm and on Sundays from 10am to 6pm.

“We have had to work really hard for the past three years,” said Mr Mohan. “It has been a struggle but we love it. We really like the community and our regulars but we need people to support us not just the supermarkets.”