BUILTH Wells Post Office is seeking a new postmaster/mistress to run the town’s branch.

Post Office Ltd said it is seeking applicants to run the town’s post office, located at 1 High Street.

The post was highlighted by Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick this week, with a closing date for applications announced as January 25 next year.

“Post Office Ltd is looking for a successful retailer to either purchase the current business or incorporate a Post Office Local into their existing or proposed business,” Post Office Ltd said in a statement advertising the role.

OTHER NEWS:

“A successful applicant will need to have: superb customer service and focus; excellent business management skills and experience; an ability to communicate effectively and easily with your branch team and customers; a talent for motivating and managing your team to ensure excellent customer service; be quick to identify potential business opportunities and keen to implement innovative ways of working to promote Post Office products within your business.”

The Post Office Local requirement would mean needing to integrate Post Office services into a vibrant and sustainable retail business, so they can be offered over the same opening hours.

The advertisement comes amid news that Post Office Ltd is proposing to close 115 branches across the UK.

The new transformation plan is set to include details on the closure of 115 "loss-making" branches across the UK, which would result in the loss of more than 1,000 jobs.

Builth Post Office has been successfully run by Tracy Houghton and her team for several years. She took over the postmistress role in 2019, while in 2022 the High Street Stores shop opened in the town centre and took over the building that formerly housed Nightshades.

High Street Stores & Builth Wells Post Office had started a campaign earlier this year to take over the former home of Barclays - after it became the last branch of the bank in Powys to close, in March. High Street Stores & Builth Wells Post Office had started a campaign earlier this year to take over the former home of Barclays - after it became the last branch of the bank in Powys to close, in March. (Image: Matt Jones/Google Street View) After the closure of Barclays bank in town in March, High Street Stores & Builth Wells Post Office had started a campaign to move one shop down the street to take over the vacant Barclays building.

The ambition was to expand the premises, while also providing a more comprehensive banking service for local residents, as only some banking facilities are currently available at the post office.

However, despite Post Office Ltd announcing in April of this year that it had agreed a deal with Ms Houghton and Co to take over Crown Buildings, the former home of Barclays, this was denied, with further work and talks reportedly required.

The post office then announced in August that Tracy was stepping down from her role as postmistress, but that the facility would remain open and that someone else would step into her shoes.

Now, however, it seems that the future of postal services in Builth is once again uncertain.

You can register your interest in taking on the post office role in Builth here.