Bishop Auckland Spar store to open interim Post Office

An interim branch opened on Friday, November 28 in the Spar store on Brooklands.

The counter will operate from Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 5pm. and will offer most of the services people previously used at the Cockton Hill Road post office, which closed suddenly on September 19, after the postmaster resigned.

The closure caused plenty of frustration locally.

Many residents took to social media at the time to share their disappointment, calling the loss of the service “absolutely disgraceful” and “terrible” for people who relied on it—especially those who don’t drive.

A Post Office spokesperson said at the time: “Cockton Hill Post Office closed with immediate effect on September 19 after the resignation of the postmaster.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this closure. We are working hard to restore Post Office provision in the area as soon as possible.”

The temporary counter should offer some relief as the busy Christmas period approaches. The Post Office says it’s still working on a long-term plan for the area.

Tracey Newton-Crofts, Post Office Partner Account Manager, said:

“We know how important a Post Office is to a community, and we are delighted to have restored service before the busy Christmas period.

“The interim branch will sit alongside the Drop & Collect Post Office, which has operated in the SPAR store for the past two years.”

The Spar store already runs a drop and collect Post Office for parcel collection, prepaid returns, bill payments, and mobile top-ups.

This service will continue to operate seven days a week, 7am – 10.30pm, alongside the new interim Post Office counter.