Fitzrovia is to lose another post office with the announcement that a branch at 19 Newman Street is to close and there are plans afoot to open a beauty salon or late night club on the site. A notice displayed at the sub post office states: “Following the resignation of the Postmaster and the withdrawal of the premises for Post Office use the branch will close temporarily on 22 December 2014.”
The notice goes on to apologise for the closure and says “we are seeking to restore a Post Office service in the area as soon as possible”. The post office is situated within a general store selling newspapers, magazines, stationery and foodstuffs.
Two other post offices are nearby, one in W H Smith’s at the Plaza Centre, 120 Oxford Street, and at 54-56 Great Portland Street. These are the only post offices serving Fitzrovia and customers have told Fitzovia News that these branches are often busy and with long queues. Another post office on the corner of Carburton Street and Great Portland Street closed several years ago. Earlier this year the Russell Square Post Office also closed.
There is a planning application pending to change the Newman Street premises to a beauty salon. There is also planning permission granted for a late night private members members club in the basement. But a recent licensing application seeks to expand the proposed club to increase its capacity to 280 people.
Local community groups Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association and Fitzrovia West Neighbourhood Forum have made objections to the increase in the club capacity.
Westminster City Council will make a decision on the applications in early 2015.
This article was corrected on 22 December 2014 to remove the words “include the ground floor” with regard to the licensing application to expand the capacity of the premises.