RINGWOOD town centre is set to regain a post office after more than two years thanks to a local newsagent.

Family run local art store and newsagent Lunns of Ringwood will next year take the mantle of the town centre’s post office, once again giving the market town three such facilities.

The original Post Office branch located in the old McColl's store in Southampton Road closed on August 26, 2020, after the incumbent postmaster resigned.

The McColl's store itself also closed in September 2020 and the lot has remained empty ever since.

Since then, the town centre has had no post office – with residents having to use those at either the Central store in Parsonage Barn Lane near Ringwood School or within the Tesco store in Poulner.

Having gone through an application process lasting around six months, a new post office will open at Lunns in Christchurch Road, just off the high street, in February 2023.

Heidi Killen of Lunns told the Echo: “I think this will be really good for the community as we haven’t had one in the town centre for over two years. Ringwood needs a post office as there’s quite a large elderly demographic.

“It’s a good bolt on to what we provide already at Lunns as a newsagent. It’ll be a small local post office to provide a service for our community.

“Watch this space.”