Budgens comes to rescue of post office (From Cotswold Journal)

Budgens comes to rescue of post office

2:00pm Sunday 10th June 2012 in News By Freya Leng

A FOOD store in Moreton has come to the rescue of the town’s post office by offering it a new home.

The post office, currently in New Road, could move to Warner’s Budgens as early as September and all five staff will be relocating to the new premises.

Faced with rising costs and council tax, postmistress Gillian James felt a quick move was the best solution.

“Costs of the building are very high,” she said.

“We’re moving out sooner rather than later. I’ve got to be out of the building in 2015 when the lease expires anyway.

“Guy [Warner] really believes in the local community – it seems to be a good solution for the both of us. It will be good for the town and good for the post office.

“You can’t rent on the High Street anymore with rents and the council tax being so high.”

Guy Warner, owner of Budgens, said they were going to form a store within a store.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us,” he said. “We’re very much involved in the community and having the post office in the heart of what we do, I hope to be more of a community hub than we are already.

“Gillian is taking the proactive step – given the increase in rates and overheads – by not wanting to get to the stage where it would become a very difficult financial situation for her.”

The sale of the current post office building went through in April after it was put on the market by Royal Mail in February last year.