AS the new Marks and Spencer food hall and cafe opened for business with queues of customers stretching down the street, people in Wey Hill are still waiting for news that there is a future for a local post office.

Although interested parties have come forward to run a new branch at the western end of Haslemere, no announcement has yet been made by Post Office Counters.

The application process if successful is subject to a six-week consultation.

A Post Office spokesman told The Herald: “We do have someone interested in taking on Lion Lane Post Office at a new location.

“Any re-location would be subject to six-week public consultation. We are working hard to reach the stage where we can begin a public consultation.

And Tesco, with its store a few yards on the opposite side of Wey Hill road, told The Herald this week it would not be opening a post office in its store.

A spokesman for M&S’ supermarket rival said: “There is not the space on the site to accommodate the facility.” He added: “I can confirm Tesco was approached and the company does not want to take on Lion Lane Post Office.”

Marks and Spencer, occupying the former Co-op on Lion Lane which closed down last year, has said it is not company policy to have a post office inside its stores.

The new M&S was officially opened by Haslemere Mayor Melanie Odell and as she cut the ribbon, customers poured into the shop for orange juice and fizzy wine before browsing the shelves.

The company is employing 50 staff – including 13 who worked for the former Co-op – among them one of the managers, Anthony Bryant.

All staff were offered a job with M&S and those who took up the offer have been working at other M&S stores since the Co-op closed last July. But the four staff left at the post office counter in the corner of the store who officially work for the Co-op, not the Post Office, have now been given their final notice to quit.

Counter staff, who are still employed by the Co-op until the end of the franchise agreement, have been told the last day of trading will be Wednesday, May 18, and the business furniture must move out by May 20.

Out of the seven staff who were employed at the counter before the Co-op closed, the four left are manager Stephen Moss, Ann Pitman, Linda Saunders and Louise Corking.

Mr Moss has been manager at the Co-op’s post office counter for 18 months, including the time its has run in the empty store, his first position as a manager since taking the decision to move over from pub management.

Mr Moss said: “We need them [M&S to house the post office] but they can do without us unfortunately.”

He is now looking for a job, as is Louise Corking, who has served just over four years. She said she had just heard of a vacancy at the Farncombe Co-op, but the nearest post office vacancy was in Camberley.

Ann Pitman, who has worked at the PO counter for 12 years and at the Co-op for 28 years, said she will probably retire, as will Linda Saunders, who has served there for more than five years.

Ann added: “We have been ambassadors for them since July – keeping customers informed with what has been happening with M&S.

“But it was not until the notice went up in the front window that we knew it was coming for definite and officially.”

Marks and Spencer regional manager Sarah McCulloch told The Herald last Thursday: “We are delighted with the response to our opening, and the customers have been very positive and we are delighted to be part of the community.”

Located between the nearest major M&S at Guildford and its Petersfield shop, she added there was “a fantastic demographic of customers” provided by the affluence of Haslemere’s population and its surrounding areas.

The store will be running its community initiatives, including asking colleagues to nominate a charity of the year, making its own donations from stock to Haslemere Food Bank and arranging flower displays for Haslewey Community Centre.

• The Post Office advertisement to run a branch remains live via its website, visit: www.corporate.postoff ice.co.uk/business-opportunities quoting reference SPM017358 – or by contacting Rob Worley on 07553 365829.

The advert says the estimated Post Office fees are between £42,240-£47,300 per year. It is looking for:

• An attractive and substantial retail operation, with a dedicated post office area;

• A suitable space to incorporate the post office – exact design and specifications will be discussed and designed around the business;

• Successful, innovative business which is competitive in the local area; excellent customer service offered to Post Office and retail customers alike

• A community focused individual, keen to make a positive social contribution.

The potential operator may already be a retailer in the same catchment area, or be planning to start up a retail business in the area.

The closing date for registering interest is December 23, but registration may close early if there is sufficient interest.