UOE is to take over the Crouch End Post Office

The Post Office has just announced that, following a successful consultation, UOE will take over the franchise for the Crouch End Post Office.

The Crouch End Post Office will remain at its current location on Topsfield Road, but we will be undertaking an extensive refurbishment of the premises, and adding a UOE Store selling design-led stationery, greetings cards and fun and affordable gifts, as well as a range of personal and business services such as photo printing, photocopying and binding.

All UOE staff will be fully trained to work in the store and on the Post Office counter, which means that we will be able to provide the full range of services to the local community 7 days a week; the Post Office is currently closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday.

All existing branch staff have been offered the option of transferring their jobs to UOE. In addition, the new store and longer opening hours also mean that we will be creating additional jobs.

Whilst there have been misgivings about the changes in both the local community and amongst current counter staff, we are confident that once the new-look Crouch End Post Office is up and running with a wider range of services and longer opening hours, they will be become supporters.

Elliot Jacobs, UOE Managing Director and Postmaster, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Crouch End to our growing portfolio of retail stores and Post Offices. We look forward to working with Post Office to deliver the service and experience that customers want, 7 days a week in a modern, fit-for-purpose store.”

The Post Office has issued an official statement about the future of the Crouch End Post Office:

“The consultation was focused on Post Office’s continuing provision of services in the heart of Crouch End. The feedback included views which welcomed the branch remaining at its current site, with the same services and with significantly increased opening hours including Sunday opening.

We are taking the utmost care with our staff as we make vital changes to improve the availability of our services for customers, keep our branches on high streets and reduce reliance on taxpayers. We discuss preferences and options with people affected and these can include redeployment, voluntary settlements or transferring to the new operator in line with TUPE legislation.

The vast majority of our 11,600 branches are run on a franchise or agency basis – it’s a model which works – and the franchisee for Crouch End already operates successful Post Offices in North London. The changes in Crouch End will ensure the branch is sustainable, with services safeguarded for years to come.”