Residents urge Post Office & Costcutter to reopen Helmsley store

Costcutter in Helmsley, which also offered essential Post Office services, closed last month (August 2022) without prior warning or information given to the public or staff.

Today, George Jabbour, Councillor for the Helmsley and Sinnington division on North Yorkshire County Council, met with Helmsley residents to highlight the importance of the service in the town.

Residents held signs with messages to Cost Cutter and the Post Office, such as: “Re-open our Post Office”, “Helmsley deserves a Post Office”, “Costcutter & Post Office, please act now”, “Stop messing us about”, and “Get on with it!”

Helmsley residents met with Cllr George Jabbour today (Image: Cllr George Jabbour)

Cllr Jabbour said: “Since the sudden closure of the Post Office in Helmsley, our local MP Kevin Hollinrake, Helmsley Town Council and I have been working closely to find a resolution to this urgent issue. 

"We have also kept the community updated with the information that we received and maintained regular contact with all involved, including residents, customers and former members of staff.

"We were initially told that the intention is for Costcutter and the Post Office to re-open the premises within seven days. 

"A few days later, we were informed that it was likely to be two weeks.  On two other occasions, we were given specific dates when Post Office services could resume.  Unfortunately, none of these efforts and attempts has come to fruition yet.

"The large number of people who have come here today to show their anger demonstrates how badly we have all been let down that Costcutter and the Post Office have not yet managed to find a way forward to provide the essential services that many residents, businesses and pensioners in our community desperately need.

"Given the length of time that has already elapsed without a Post Office in our town, it is incumbent on Costcutter and the Post Office to make this critical matter their top priority and restart services immediately."

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, said: “It is absolutely wrong that a busy market town like Helmsley is left without a bank or a post office, particularly when for many local people it is their only way of accessing vital services.

"The Post Office must urgently put a temporary solution in place whilst the legal issues at the Costcutter are resolved and will continue to press for this.”

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton (Image: Supplied)

As reported by the Gazette and Herald, in an email sent to Helmsley Town Council providing an update on the situation, a spokesperson for the Post Office said: "I appreciate the situation in Helmsley is extremely frustrating for the residents and appreciate the inconvenience caused by the delay in returning services to the area.

“I can assure you that we continue to work very hard to resolve this matter and we remain focussed on our efforts to reopen the branch at the former location as soon as we are able.

“As you are aware, the reopening has been delayed due to influences outside our control as we do not own the premises.

“At this stage, I’m afraid we do not have capacity to provide a weekly service via an outreach solution, however, we will revisit alternative options should our preferred solution to reopen the branch at the former location not come to fruition.

“I will update you as soon as I have any further information.”

Costcutter and the Post Office have been approached by the Gazette and Herald for a comment.