Villagers haven't given up on return of Post Office to Middleton-in-Teesdale

FEARS over the fate of Middleton-in-Teesdale’s postal service have continued to rattle villagers.

The Post Office in HM Cooke Haberdashery, in Horsemarket, stopped operating on August 15. Parish councillors are in talks with the Post Office and Durham County Council to try to find a way forward after a “temporary three month closure” was announced.

But the parish council has admitted it would be “difficult to see a solution” if a new postmaster or postmistress was not found.

A statement issued on behalf of Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin parish council said it “deeply regretted” the closure adding that it was committed to maintaining a post office in the village. At September’s parish meeting, clerk Judith Mashiter said: “It was hoped that the people who took over would be interested in opening the Post Office up but they have declined that offer.”

Post Office Ltd has confirmed that it would not be willing to cover the costs of installing the necessary equipment in any other premises in Middleton-in-Teesdale.

This was after the firm paid to install equipment after the office moved from the old Market Place premises in early 2016. If no progress is made to finding a new tenant to take on the post office, it is thought an “outreach branch” could be provided one day a week for three hours. However, councillors feared once an outreach facility was set up, it would make the return of a full time post office very difficult.

Cllr Andy Mitchell added: “There was a couple of interested parties when this came up before – we could get the Post Office to visit them.

“If you look at the ones we lost like Newbiggin then I think we deserve (a full time) one for the catchment area of people we have – rather than people making the trip down from Forest-in-Teesdale to Cotherstone.”

Footfall from hosting the post office in a village business was seen as a boon by members. But Cllr Lynne Oxby, who owns a cafe in Middleton, said: “Having all that in a shop is a big thing – you have might enough of running a business.”

Talks between the parish council, Durham County Council and the Post Office to find a “long term solution” are continuing.