Stretton Post OfficeA BRIGHT future appears to be in store for a Burton post office after announcing refurbishment plans.
Stretton Post Office, in Main Street, is to close for a week at the end of the month for work to take place.
It is set to look unrecognisable to customers, with the store to undergo a full refurbishment, and builders leaving nothing untouched.
It represents a bold step for the outlet, which has recently taken on two new members of staff, and will also be extending its opening hours to go with its new look.
The post office will be closed from February 27 with the grand reopening on March 5.
The new-look store will open half an hour earlier on weekdays, from 8.30am, and will now be open until 5.30pm on Saturdays.
Roger Randle, manager at the Stretton Post Office, said: “It’s going to be a complete shop refit. Essentially only the counter will remain the same.
“There will be new flooring and the whole retail area will be refitted. It’s going to look very different.”
The news also marks an upturn in fortunes for post offices generally, with the service suffering a turbulent recent past following a number of closures up and down the country in the last few years.
But Mr Randle believes there will always be a place for post offices with the upgrade possible due to the store’s popularity locally.
He added: “We want to ensure that we’re here for as long as we can be. We have a very strong following in Stretton and the post office has always been well received.
“A while back there was a few closures and post offices need to do a lot in order to survive, but at the moment the post office is dedicated to keeping them open.
“I think this is going to be a huge bonus to the people of Stretton. It definitely seems like a positive step and we’re very pleased.”
David Enyon, chairman of Stretton Parish Council, hailed the plans, saying the refurbishment would be ‘great news for Stretton’.
