NORTON Post Office is to relocate to the town centre.

The Post Office is to move the Beverley Road branch in Norton to create a Post Office Local at Costcutter in Commercial Street following a public consultation.

Post Office Local is a new concept for delivering services and the new branch would provide an open plan service point integrated into the retail counter, instead of from a screened counter.

Known as Commercial Street Post Office, the branch will be open from 8am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 8pm on Sunday - 43 hours a week more than are currently offered.

The proposed move is part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.

The service launches at 1pm on Friday, July 29. Local residents and small business customers will be able to access a wide range of Post Office and mails services, including Special Delivery, Local Collect, home shopping returns, and make online banking cash deposits and withdrawals, withdrawals using a Post Office Card Account, send funds abroad using Moneygram, pay bills, pre-order travel money, apply for travel insurance and top up mobile phones.

The present Beverley Road Post Office at will close at 5.30pm on Thursday, July 28. During this short period of closure before the new Commercial Street branch is operational Post Office services may be accessed from any convenient Post Office branch, including Malton Post Office.

Suzanne Richardson, regional manager said: “We are making it easier for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking because we know how important these services are to local residents.

“We are confident that this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs. This modernisation is part of a major investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office.”