It comes after Formby Post Office failed to open as advertised on Friday afternoon.
Empty desks at the closed Walton Vale Post Office(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
The first Liverpool Post Office to reopen after sudden closures across Merseyside has been confirmed. Walton Vale Post Office is slated to reopen in the mid-afternoon on Monday, November 17.
The planned reopening comes after Formby Post Office failed to reopen as advertised by Post Office Ltd this afternoon (Friday). Pensioners were left out in the cold after travelling to the branch after the publicly-owned firm announced the branch would be the first to reopen after 10 closed without warning across Merseyside on November 5.
The closed branches are Childwall, Hunts Cross, Monument Place, Penny Lane, Toxteth, Tuebrook, Walton Vale, Watts Lane, Formby, and Woolton. Post Office Ltd is still refusing to elaborate on the “operational reasons” it blames for the closures.
The ECHO visited Walton Vale Post Office last week, and spoke to Zaid Al-Dheleai, who works at Walton Vale Local Convenience, which houses Walton Vale Post Office.
The Post Office desks were dark and quiet, with the shop also quiet after seeing a drop in passing trade. Zaid said the small convenience shop draws many of its customers from those visiting the Post Office.
Formby Post Office failed to open on Friday(Image: Andy Teebay, Liverpool ECHO)
When the ECHO visited, a customer entered hoping to post a parcel, still unaware the service was unavailable. Zaid said: “The Post Office is always busy, the shop is quiet. A lot of people rely on the Post Office.”
Zaid said he had been told “computer issues” were to blame for the closure. Post Office Ltd has twice denied IT issues are behind the closures during conversations with the ECHO.
Walton Vale Post Office is closed(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
A Post Office spokesperson said: “There has been a slight delay to the re-opening of Formby Post Office. It will now open on Monday, November 17 at 9am. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the temporary, unplanned, closure of this branch.
“In addition, we are pleased to announce that Walton Vale will re-open mid afternoon on Monday, November 17. We hope to be re-opening other branches in the Liverpool area this month and we will provide details as soon as possible.”