MP officially opens Plymstock Post Office
Rebecca Smith MP for South West Devon “cut the ribbon” (31/10) to mark the official opening of Plymstock Post Office, which has restored Post Office services to the area.
The proud new postmaster is Steven Boyd, who with his business partner also have two other Post Offices at Peverell and Ernesettle and two Banking Hubs in the region.
The new location is Unit 19 The Broadway, Plymstock, Plymouth, PL9 7AF. There is a fully stocked retail range of stationery, cards and gifts alongside Plymstock Post Office.
This has restored Post Office service to the area after the branch, which had been inside the McColl’s store at 26/28 The Broadway, Plymstock, closed in January 2023.
Rebecca Smith MP said: "I want to sincerely congratulate postmaster Steven Boyd for helping us to get a much-needed Post Office back in this community. There’s a large elderly community and people without their own transport, so we had been campaigning for a branch, and will be key attraction for the shopping centre at the Plymstock Broadway
“The Post Office and shop look really great. The opening hours are tremendous as people can visit any day of the week. There’s a real buzz of excitement that Plymstock Post Office has opened, and Steven and his staff are very welcoming to customers. It’s such a relief as the last bank is about to close."
Plymstock Post Office is open Monday – Saturday: 8am – 8pm; Sunday: 9 am – 1pm. This provides 76 hours of Post Office service a week making it easy for customers to visit and there is also a free three-hour car park opposite with 450 spaces.
Plymstock Postmaster, Steven Boyd, said: “Customers think the new Post Office and shop look superb as it light, bright and spacious. People have been impressed with the opening hours. We are the only shop in the area that sells newspapers and tobacco, and we are getting lots of customers coming in every day.
“We have been delighted with how many people are already using the branch – it’s much higher than we had hoped for at the start and it shows just how much-needed this was.
“These long opening hours have meant that we are attracting customers from further afield. The evening opening is really suiting customers who work during the day. We are a lot busier on a Sunday than we thought we’d be as we’re the only branch in the area that is open on a Sunday. Lots of people think that’s a good day to do their home shopping returns or to send parcels to get them out of their homes and on their way. People also want to pick up parcels that have been sent here to be safely stored for collection.
Steven and his nephew have been busy letting businesses in the area about the wide range of services that they offer including Drop & Go for bulk customers, mails including DPD, business banking and change giving.
Lloyds bank closes its Plymstock branch next week. Many local residents are learning for the first time all about the banking services that they can do at the Post Office. Steven has done a talk to a local pensioner group and is attending a meeting with residents at a nearby sheltered living home.
Steven said: “I’ve been able to reassure lots of pensioners in the area that they can pay in cash and cheques, withdraw cash and get bank balances and do bill payments at my branch. These are the people who are hardest hit by bank closures as many of them do not have the internet or do banking online, so they need to be able to do their banking face-to-face. We like to give that personal service. and we can build community spirit as we want to get to know the community.”
The new town of Sherford is also being built between Plymstock and Plympton for a predicted population of 15,000 and Plymstock Post Office will be able to help to meet the needs of the growing local population.
The same range of products and services as before are available. There is a large navy and former navy population in the area and the branch does BFPO services to send letters and parcels to military serving overseas.
Other services include passport check and send, vehicle tax renewal, document certification services, foreign currency, travel insurance and travel money card.
