Welcome for new Wick post office plan as Poundstretcher set to host service
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Wick's provost has welcomed the impending restoration of a permanent post office in the town.
Highland councillor Jan McEwan was responding to news that a new outlet is set to be opened within the Poundstretcher store in Macleay Lane.
Glyn and Joy Jackson are to operate a service four days a week in a move which comes in the wake of a series of short-lived attempts to retain a branch in the royal burgh.
The couple are gearing up to have the new service up and running by the end of March.
Mr Jackson said: "We will be using a piece of kit that has been stored in the old post office in Market Square.
"It is designed for use in stores. It works off 4G and has everything we need built in."
Mr Jackson said an agreement has been reached with Poundstretcher, with arrangements being made to move and restock the kit.
"We're good to go, though we don't yet have a definite start date.
"It should be the end of March at the latest but, if everything goes to plan, we're looking to start on March 20."
He said all the basic services will be available from the outset, though a couple of services might take a little longer to provide.
The Lybster couple stepped in last month to operate their mobile van in Wick after the sooner-than-expected closure of the town's sole post office in High Street run by local businessman Kevin Milkins.
While the new set-up involves a month-to-month rolling contract, Mr Jackson is confident it will prove to be a long-term solution.
He said: "It's inside and it gives longer hours of opening for people in and around Wick.
"Hopefully the queues won't build up – but if they do, at least people are waiting inside."
Once the new outlet is up and running, Mr Jackson said they would consider taking on other staff.
The van has been coming to the town's riverside car park on Wednesdays between 10.30am and 2.30pm; Thursdays between 9am and 2pm; and Fridays between 11.15am and 2.15pm.
The new service in Poundstretcher will operate from 9am to 12.30pm and 1pm-4pm, Mondays to Thursdays.
This will allow the couple to resume their established mobile service, which includes a stopover in Wick's Macarthur Street, on Friday mornings.
Councillor McEwan said: "I'm absolutely delighted that a solution has been found so quickly."
She believed the location of the new outlet, just off the town centre, is ideal.
"It's very accessible, has loads of parking nearby and will definitely bring footfall to the town. It's great news."
Mr Jackson started his mobile business when he left Watten post office in 2006 and has been job-sharing with his wife for the past 10 years.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “In February, we quickly organised a mobile post office for Wick when the postmaster resigned at short notice. We are keen to restore a post office within a shop premises. We hope to soon be able to share good news.”
