Temp Post Office opens at Milton Keynes City Council offices to restore branch after serious fire.
Milton Keynes Post Office has opened at lunchtime today (16) to restore service to the city centre after a serious fire.
Post Office Ltd and Milton Keynes City Council worked closely to find a way to re-open a temporary branch to restore Post Office services to the city centre.
An interim branch is based at Milton Keynes City Council’s civic offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ. It is operated by experienced staff from Milton Keynes Post Office.
There is a separate entrance for Milton Keynes Post Office, on Silbury Boulevard, immediately to the right of the main entrance to Civic (where the NatWest Bank was previously based.) The branch is on the ground floor with level access.
Milton Keynes Post Office had been closed at its usual location of 802 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 3QA, since 10 June, due to a suspected arson attack whilst the branch was open serving customers.
Paul Mead, Post Office Head of Directly Managed branches, said: “We are delighted to have restored Post Office services to the centre of Milton Keynes again with the friendly, familiar, staff who worked at the previous location.
“We know how important a Post Office is to residents, businesses and shoppers in Milton Keynes and we sincerely thank Milton Keynes City Council for quickly offering to provide space in its civic offices for an interim location as the normal building was badly affected by the fire. This allows us to provide vital services to the city centre, whilst we work towards re-opening a permanent branch.”
There are five Post Office counters, including at least one that is suitable for people with disabilities, which will be open full-time. Plus, there is a Post Office tablet for online passport and driving licence renewal services. There are no self-service machines.
Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Lauren Townsend said: “We quickly stepped in to offer ground floor space at Civic to give local people the continued convenience of a city centre post office. The space should be available for as long as it takes for the repairs to the Post Office permanent building to be finished.”
The opening hours for the interim Milton Keynes Post Office are the same as before: Monday - Friday: 9am – 6pm; Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm.
The are still the majority of Post Office services. Exceptions include paper-based passport check and send, Western Union money transfers, document certification and verification services including saving products and applications. SIA Licence Applications are available.
There is no retail space for stationery and packaging. Special philatelic products are unavailable including First day envelope, stamp cards, presentation packs, albums, mini-sheet, prestige book stamps, coin covers and smiler stamps.
On demand Post Office travel money is unavailable, however, customers can pre-order currency online and they can collect it from Milton Keynes Post Office. There will not be the ability to top up a Post Office Travelcard at the interim branch.
There is no ATM machine, however, cash can be withdrawn at the Post Office counters.
Pay and display car parking is available outside the council premises at both standard and premium rates.
