Post Office has agreed to relocate Wester Hailes Post Office in October to a new location – Plaza News, Unit 23-26 Upper Ground Floor Level, Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2SW.
Wester Hailes Post Office, which is currently directly managed by Post Office, will be run by a new retail franchise partner at the new location within the same shopping centre.
Father and son, Mohammed and Aamir Arshad have run Plaza News, a hardware and convenience store, since 2016. Previously they ran Whitecraig Post Office and off-licence store in Musselburgh for six years.
The current branch at 14A Westside Plaza will close on Monday 6 October at 5.30pm, with the new branch opening, at Plaza News on Tuesday 7 October at 1pm.
Post Office Limited recently announced it is moving to a fully franchised network, as part of their wider commitment to deliver a “New Deal for Postmasters”.
Over 99% of the Post Office network is already successfully operated on a franchise basis by carefully selected retail partners. They hope the move will create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, including Wester Hailes.
After consideration of the feedback received during a consultation, they believe that the layout and location of the new branch will continue to meet customer needs and deliver an excellent service, whilst securing the long-term viability of Post Office services in the local community.
The same range of services will still be available, including an internal ATM.
The opening hours will be Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. This will be an extra 5 hours and 30 minutes of Post Office service a week including Saturday afternoon and earlier opening on a Tuesday morning than currently for the convenience of customers.
Wester Hailes Post Office will have two open plan serving positions at the retail counter.
There is a car park at the shopping center with dedicated disabled parking bays on upper level where the new branch will be located.
Current Post Office employees have the opportunity to TUPE across to continue to work at the relocated branch.
