THE POST Office in Severn Beach is set to relocate to the McColls convenience store as part of a major, national, modernisation programme.

The current Post Office at 115 Beach Road will close on Tuesday, September 2 at 5.30pm with the current postmaster’s agreement.

The new branch will open on Thursday, September 4 at its new location at McColls Retail Group Ltd, 103 Beach Road at 1pm.

During the short period of closure people are asked to use the Post Office services either at, the Post Office in Redwick Road in Pilning or Olveston Post Stores in The Street, Olveston.

The new Post Office will offer a new ‘local’ style service will be provided at a combination counter in the store with a Post Office terminal sat alongside the till.

Customers will still be able to access usual mail services as well as Local Collect, home shopping returns, online banking cash deposits and withdrawals.

Other services include: Withdrawals using a Post Office Card Account send funds abroad using Moneygram, and customers can pay bills, pre-order travel money, apply for travel insurance and top up mobile phones.

The Post Office service will be available during the store’s opening hours – Monday to Saturday: 6am-10pm and Sunday 7am-10pm – an extra 71 hours a week compared to the current situation.

Lunchtime closing will also end after the relocation.

The Post Office network’s £1.34 billion modernisation programme involves the transformation of around 6,000 branches to new styles.

Longer opening hours are designed to make services more convenient to use and to reduce waiting times.

Will Russell, regional manager, said: “We know how important Post Office services are to residents in Bristol and we are confident this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the community will be popular.

“The modernisation is part of a major Government investment programme that is enabling us to continue investing in the Post Office network and to map out a bold growth strategy through to the end of the decade.”