RESIDENTS in Witton are celebrating their triumph after a public campaign led to the return of the local post office.

Witton Post Office originally closed in April in 2013, but after a veterinary clinic attempted to get planning permission to open up on the site on the corner of Worcester Road and Tagwell Road, local businessman Raj Patel took the initiative to become accredited as a post master, and more than 300 people signed a petition to urge the council to reject the planning application and let the site return to its former use as a post office.

The post office is now set to re-open on Monday, October 20, marking a success for the local community.

The new sub-postmaster Mr Patel, said: “I accepted the challenge of running the post office after hearing of residents’ fears that it might never reopen. I am delighted that we have been successful and I thank the town council for its support.”

Local town and district councillors, including Droitwich mayor Councillor Bob Brookes, past mayor Councillor Tom Noyes and councillor Graham Beale, worked to ensure that the importance of the post office was recognised by the planning committee, and town councillors raised objections to the proposals for the veterinary practice, which was eventually turned down by the Wychavon planning committee despite a recommendation for approval.

Councillor Brookes added: “The reopening of this post office is proof of the effectiveness of the town council in defending local services. If it wasn’t for the intervention of local councillors, the post office would not have re-opened. Local democracy has been seen to work.”