Locals and visitors will be pleased to know that a new Blackpool Post Office is opening at 1pm on 19 April 2021 in the town centre. It follows the closure of the Post Office situated in WH Smiths at Bank Hey Street.
The new Blackpool Post Office will be located at 2B Bickerstaffe Square, Talbot Road. Postcode FY1 3AZ if you need it for sat-nav! It’s just around the corner of the main entrance to the Blackpool Council offices. A handy site for Sainsbury’s and the new tram interchange.
New Place and New Features for a New Blackpool Post Office
The new Talbot Road Post Office will also include a new cards, gifts and stationery store.
There will be three serving positions – a mixture of one screened and one open plan. A Post Office serving point is provided for use at the retail counter and available during shop opening hours.
This new location is near Sainsbury’s and other shops. The premises were built in 2014 and there is 30 minutes free parking and paid parking close by with disabled bays.
- Later closing times. Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. This is an extra 30 minutes of Post Office service a day than previously.
- Customers of main UK banks can access accounts at new branch
- Services include bill payment, cash withdrawals and foreign currency, postage, home shopping collections and returns
and a New Postmaster
The new Postmaster is award-winning Azim Shaikh, who already is Postmaster for Whalley.
The lease has been signed for the relocation to a 1,055 sq ft (98 sq m) retail unit on the ground floor of the Council’s town centre headquarters at Bickerstaffe House, opposite Blackpool North rail station. Blackpool-based commercial property consultants Duxburys acted on behalf of the Council.
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Mr Shaikh said, “We are delighted to secure the unit at Bickerstaffe House, retaining a centrally located position within the town. A Post Office is the heart of a community, and it’s vital that the local community can continue to access essential post office services, as the branch acts as a lifeline to many local residents.
“We listen to what our customers want and offer a vibrant business such as banking services, click and collect and dry cleaning services. We are investing in a quality finish for the unit and aim to provide an inviting space and a warm, friendly welcome. Initially we’ll open with four members of staff. We’ll do our best to take on more staff as we become more established in the coming months.
“We are thankful to Blackpool Council for helping us to secure the new unit which is an excellent fit for us and we’re thrilled to be a part of an exciting new development at Talbot Gateway that will unfold around us over the next few years.”
Keep it in the family
Azim’s two brothers will also be involved with this new branch in Blackpool. Fazail Shaikh is the Postmaster for Colne and Ramiz Shaikh is the Postmaster for Skipton Road, Colne. Together they already run three very successful Post Offices in Lancashire. They have 25 years retail experience and 15 years of Post Office experience.
Azim Shaikh was selected out of six other contenders to run the branch. Mr Shaikh has also been nominated for best small business of the year in the Ribble Valley, with a 5 star Google rating and excellent customer reviews.
He also won the Post Office’s ‘We’re Stronger Together’ regional awards for the North of England region this year in the Local Hero category for his charitable work during the Coronavirus whilst ensuring that his branch remained fully open.
Kenny Lamont, Post Office Network Provision Manager, said: “We are delighted to be restoring Post Office services to central Blackpool as we know how important a Post Office is to residents and businesses. The Postmaster has worked closely with Blackpool Council to find great new premises, which are very conveniently located.”
Previous Blackpool Post Office Locations
The last location for the Post Office was in the basement of the WH Smiths store on Bank Hey Street. It had operated there for some years, before the store closed in January 2021.
You might remember the old site of the GPO as it was once known, at Abingdon Street.
Various plans have been put forward over the years, the last of which were for a new hotel and leisure facility.
While you’re here…
Have a look at the homepage of the Live Blackpool website for more of the latest updates.
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