HEADLEY Down is to get a three-day mobile post office service after the area has had to manage on just one hour per week after the closure of the Post Office at Whittle’s Stores.

That was at the same time as the family-run shop ceased trading after 70 years last October.

The good news on the extra postal services has come this week after the sub-postmaster at Grayshott Village Post Office, Michelle Reidy, offered to provide an extended service not only to Headley Down but also to Liss Forest, Nyewood, Rushmoor, Singleton, West Dean, and Wormley.

Headley Down had got the longest of the extended service with a three-day mobile visit outside the One Stop shop on Tuesdays 9am to 11am, and Wednesday and Thursday for an hour.

It will start on September 26 despite of a six-week consultation for public views being launched by Post Office Counters due to end in October “before we finalise our plans.”

Since the closure of the Post Offices in the seven villages, a spokesman said, “We have continued to work to identify a solution to restore services to the local communities. Therefore we are planning to introduce a mobile service, which is a tried and tested way of maintaining service to smaller communities.”

However Mrs Reidy at Grayshott - the shop selling a variety of goods that has been there since 1930 - told The Herald: “The extended mobile Post Office service in Headley Down will start on September 26 and my husband Noel will be going out with one of the mobile vans.

“The other will be driven by Jim Whittle, who works part-time with me here, and who was postmaster at Headley Down till the family shop closed. He will be going back to the village with the mobile service and no doubt be meeting a lot of his old customers and friends.”

Local district councillor and Headley parish councillor Anthony Williams said he was pleased at the news.

“It isn’t as good as having our own Post Office as we did for so many years but the next best thing is a mobile one and calling at Headley Down for three days, rather than an hour once a week, will help those who are elderly or who don’t drive.”

It was something the parish council would be discussing and he hoped the public would respond to the public consultation. “After all it is the footfall in the Post Office that determines how much demand there is for it. Either use it or lose it.”

The public consultation is due to end on October 6 and there are forms in the One Stop at Headley Down for people to state their views.