A THREATENED post office has been given a one-month reprieve with the hope that other monthly reprieves will follow. Last month local residents learned that Southdown branch post office which shares its premises with Balfour Newsagents was faced with clos

A THREATENED post office has been given a one-month reprieve with the hope that other monthly reprieves will follow.

Last month local residents learned that Southdown branch post office which shares its premises with Balfour Newsagents was faced with closure at the end of December - even though Harpenden would be left with only two post offices by the New Year.

But the Co-op in conjunction with the new freeholder has agreed that it should stay open until the end of January and campaigners are now hoping that can continue on a month-to-month basis.

Steve Gledhill, secretary of the Cravells Area Residents Association, said the new freeholder, local dentist Bob Cammack, was quite happy to renew the lease for an additional month to enable the post office to stay open.

He went on: "He was happy about that and wants to see the continuity of the post office so we are hoping we can keep it running month by month."

Harpenden district and county councillor Teresa Heritage has been in contact with the Post Office which has been very supportive about keeping a post office open in Southdown.

Mr Gledhill said she had been speaking with their director of planning for the East of England and the Post Office was, "bending over backwards to keep the business going."

He added: "We are glad that the Co-op is extending the opening period by a month and would like to see it extended month by month. The Co-op is taking over Somerfield's and when that happens, we can say why not open a post office in the Southdown supermarket.