MAJOR changes are in the pipeline for Tavistock's main post office. The Post Office says a new partnership with EKRAJ, which trades as Spar, will safeguard the future of its services in Tavistock ? the post office will remain in its current premises in Abbey Place, retain its status as a main branch and offer the same products and services as it does now. However, the deal will mean more investment in the branch. There will be earlier opening hours on Tuesday to Saturday, extended hours on Saturdays and an on-site Spar convenience store. Selected post office services will be available out of hours, between 7am and 10pm, Monday to Sunday. Nick Gittens, Post Office Ltd network change manager, said: ?Most post office branches are run on a franchised basis, however, there are around 550 branches which, like Tavistock, we run directly. ?Last year, these types of branches lost £70-million and that is not something any organisation could sustain indefinitely. ?We needed to find a way to continue to provide the same post office service in town and city centres without losing that amount of money.? Mr Gittins said a recent cross-party trade and industry select committee report into former crown post offices, like Tavistock?s, accepted the principles of partnerships with retailers as a way of safeguarding post office services. He said: ?We have successfully worked with EKRAJ Ltd?s management team on a number of post office branches in the past and we are confident that this record will continue at Tavistock.? Under the new agreement, EKRAJ will remain accountable to Post Office Ltd, who will monitor service standards by implementing customer feedback initiatives and a ?mystery shopper? scheme. A spokesperson for Post Office Ltd said the new sub-postmaster for Tavistock will be Ravi Jhangiani, who is currently president of the Plymouth branch of the National Federation of Subpostmasters. She said: ?He will take over the day to day management of the post office, and that will include employment and management of staff. ?We will discuss options with staff, in terms of what they want to do. We have an exceptional track record on how we deal with staff ? we don?t make compulsory redundancies, there are a range of options and we will support staff in terms of what they wish to do.? Post Office Ltd has now entered a period of consultation regarding the changes to the post office in Tavistock and is urging members of the public to contact them regarding any service issues they feel may be affected by the changes. Anyone who wishes to contact the company should write to Nick Gittens, Network Change Manager, Post Office Ltd, c/o National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford WD18 8ZW before July 8 2005.
