THE post office in South Harrow has reopened after being closed for almost a year, with renewed hopes of a long-term future for the service in the borough.

The branch's new home, at Abiz Cash and Carry in Northolt Road, was officially unveiled this morning by Mayor of Harrow Councillor Asad Omar watched by a crowd of relieved residents and councillors.

The reopening not only gives the people of South Harrow, Northolt and Harrow-on-the-Hill back their post office, but also came with an assurance that no more branches in the borough would close in the immediate future.

Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar, a Labour Roxeth ward representative and cabinet member, welcomed the opening, saying it comes as welcome relief to a lot of residents.

He said: “This means a lot to residents and I look at it as not just a post office but also a community centre where people, especially pensioners, come regularly and feel at home.

“It is that kind of sense of community that makes a post office important. It has been a long hard battle but we have got there in the end.

“It is also welcome relief for South Harrow because it needs perking up and I hope this will help.”

A long line of residents queued up this morning to be the first customers after the official opening, and can now access services including picking up their pensions, and help with foreign travel documents like visas and passports.

Rayners Lane resident Peter Burrows came this morning to be among the first customers to get first day stamps, having been forced to travel to central Harrow since the old branch, also in Northolt Road, shut down in October last year following a dispute between bosses and Post Office Ltd.

Mr Burrows said: “I had to travel to Harrow which was a pain. Sometimes up in the main post office, it can get quite busy.

“I don't mind if it is in a shop or stand-alone, so long as we have a post office branch. They have shut so many that if you pick the wrong time to go, you can end up queueing for a long time.”

With Post Office Ltd, like many organisations, looking at ways to save money, Councillor Bill Stephenson, leader of Harrow Council, said he has been guaranteed no more branches in Harrow are facing closure in the short-term.

He said: “I have been assured there are no more proposals for closures of post offices in Harrow and we are keen to keep it that way.

“I think the post office provides a tremendous service to the community, and I am happy to see this one in South Harrow reopened and hope it is a stable and permanent fixture in the community.”

He said Post Office Ltd has signed up as a partner to the council, and both sides will be entering into talks soon on the future of the Harrow town centre branch, which Cllr Stephenson labelled “not fit for purpose” owing to its relatively small size compared with the large number of customers.

Sivalingam Sivakanthan, a former postmaster in Oxford, will take charge of the South Harrow branch alongside Luxmykanthan Pathmasunthary, opening Mondays to Saturdays between 9am and 5.30pm.