THE owners of a closing post office are to host a scaled-down outreach service rather than see the branch replaced by a mobile van.

Janet and Lloyd Willis, who own Greenodd Post Office, are being forced to stop operating as a full-time branch after postal chiefs axed the office as part of their cost-cutting network change programme – despite the couple running a high-profile and persuasive campaign against the closure.

Post Office Ltd is replacing the branch with an outreach service, and was considering using a mobile van. However, the Willises decided they would be in a better position to help the community by hosting the outreach service in their shop.

“It was either going to be in our shop or the mobile van, so we thought it was the best of a bad job,” said Mrs Willis. “We have signed a contract for 12 months, but we are going to do car tax, which we didn’t used to do, so we might end up busier than before.

“We got to the situation where there was nothing that we could do to keep us open the way we were.

“It is going to be in our premises and it is me who is going to be serving customers. At least, while it is us, people can leave stuff for us to do when we are not open, whereas they could not do that with a van.”

The couple ran a well-supported campaign, which included putting up signs and banners, holding demonstrations, brewing a special beer, and hosting several well-attended public meetings as well as presenting a 6,000-signature petition to Downing Street.

The Post Office kiosk, located within the Willises’ shop, will be ripped out and equipment from the Grange Post Office will be brought to Greenodd for the three days a week the service is provided.

Mrs Willis believes that by having the outreach service, on Monday afternoons, Tuesday and Friday mornings, it will help to keep their convenience store open and allow them to keep on their staff.

Mrs Willis said the Greenodd Post Office would be open as usual until at least early December when it was expected the outreach service would start.

l MP Tim Farron has expressed concern for the long-term future of the proposed part-time post office at Dent.

Under revised proposals, which the Westmorland and Lonsdale MP “cautiously welcomed”, the post office will now be sited in Dent Stores rather than in the Memorial Hall as originally planned.

However, Mr Farron pointed out that the new service, which will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, was being guaranteed for only 12 months.

“I have called for a more long term solution to give local people the security they deserve,” he said.