Permanent new base for Wigan town centre's post office is revealed

It follows months of speculation as to where the base will be since its previous one – in the now defunct WHSmith store on Standishgate – closed.

Customers in the meantime have been using a temporary unit in the Grand Arcade.

But the Post Office has now announced that the former Co-op Bank at 10 Market Street will be opening for business within weeks.

The new-look, permanent outlet is scheduled to open on Wednesday November 30 at 1pm, with the temporary solution closing the day before at 5.30pm.

The temporary location had two Post Office counters, whereas the new one will have three counters – two full screened and an open-plan counter alongside the retail counter.

It will be the same experienced Postmaster at the new location.

This relocated branch will be able to offer additional services including a comprehensive range of Travel Money, On Demand Travel Insurance and Passport Check & Send.

The opening hours will remain as Monday to Friday: 9am to 5.30pm; Saturday: 9am to 2pm.

Sarah Cottrell, Post Office Network Provision Manager, said: “We know how important a Post Office is to a community and we are pleased to soon have a permanent, larger solution and with extra Post Office services provided.

“We are keen to restore this branch to the area as soon as possible, so we have decided to go ahead with our plans.”

For generations the general post office was based on Wallgate.

But in the summer of 2019 it closed its doors for the last time as the Post Office carried out national cutbacks. There had been fears that the town centre would lose its services altogether but it moved into’s WHSmith’s until that retailer itself announced it was pulling out Wigan because it couldn’t make ends meet.

In the meantime, pub tycoon Tony Callaghan has announced plans to convert the premises into a “city bar”, function rooms and offices.

The opportunity to give feedback on the new post office will close on November 16. Customers can share their views during the consultation online at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 390460.