SHELLEY residents have welcomed the news that the village will get a new outreach Post Office.

It will be based in the Village Hall on Huddersfield Road three days a week and will open on May 11.

Villagers have been without a Post Office since last October when the postmaster resigned and the Far Bank branch closed.

But they have welcome the decision for an outreach service, describing it as a lifeline for Shelley.

Eileen Smithson, 74, said: “People often don’t realise how much they rely on their Post Office until they lose it.

“I’m glad they’re bringing it back and I hope that people use it because we don’t want to lose it again.”

Mum-of-two Kate Dugdale, another Shelley resident, added: “Post offices are the heart of villages like this and I think it has been missed.

“It’s all well and good saying people can get a bus to another branch, but there are a few thousand people living in Shelley and we all want to keep the service here.

“I’m really pleased to hear it’s going to re-open in the hall.”

The outreach branch will be open three times a week – every Monday and Tuesday from 9.30am until 12.30pm and Thursday from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Marion Davidson, subpostmistress of Kirkburton, will take over the running of the Shelley branch.

She said: “The support we have received from the community has been hugely important in getting this up and running.

“There are 500 outreach post offices in small village halls throughout the country so the Post Office have experience of setting them up.

“The important thing now is the community uses it, it’s success will be down to them and maybe if it is well used it will be open for longer than the three days proposed.”

The subpostmistress also thanked the support of the parish and local councillors and MPs Mary Creagh and Shahid Malik who backed the campaign to re-open it.

Clr Christine Smith said: “Clr Adrian Murphy and myself are both delighted that Liz Morgan, the Field Change Advisor, has agreed to this relocation as Shelley has a large number of both elderly residents and young mothers with children.”

Liz Morgan from the Post Office said: “We apologise for the inconvenience this temporary closure has undoubtedly caused but I’m sure our customers will be delighted that we are now able to restore a post office service in the village.”

The village hall is about 550 yards from the former branch at Far Bank and has two car parks with disabled access.

The official opening will take place on Monday May 11.