Father Andrew Cain says plans for a post office mean it’s a ‘very exciting time’ for St James Church in West Hampstead

Published: 8 August, 2013
by ALICE HUTTON

ST JAMES Church in West Hampstead has received the stamp of approval to open a replacement post office between its pews.

The 19th-century building in Sheriff Road could be welcoming its first customers as early as April next year after the Post Office officially approved the £320,000 project on Monday.

The news has been welcomed by St James’ vicar, Father Andrew Cain, and local councillors, following a six-month campaign to become the successor to the branch in West End Lane when it closes by the end of the year.

Father Cain told the New Journal that it was “a very exciting time” for the church and residents of West Hampstead who had raised fears that West End Lane’s 1,500 weekly users, many of them elderly, could be left stranded when it shut up shop.

He added that he hoped the church, which will also include a coffee shop and printing services, could become a model for other places of worship to replace ailing post offices around the country.

“There has been an awful lot of work that a lot of people have put into this and this is a very exciting time. We are delighted,” said Father Cain.

“Post offices are enormously important parts of local communities and we hope that we might provide a model for other churches to do the same thing. The one thing that churches can provide is that we have buildings in prime sites throughout the country and are sometimes ideally placed to be community post offices.”

He said he hoped the church would become a social hub for the community and that it had already successfully held a pop-up supper club, with a cinema screening planned for September.

“We had a long interview on Friday,” said Father Cain. “It was quite gruelling but also good. I think they were genuinely very pleased with the thought and the care that we put into it.

“We had a very clear and articulate vision. Now we need to meet with the architects and engineers to put together a timetable for a planning application. With any luck we are hoping for a grand opening in May and a quieter opening a month or so before that.”

Councillor Gillian Risso-Gill, who represents West Hampstead, added: “I am really pleased that the Post Office is really supportive of this new inspired initiative to bring a large, beautiful building into wider use for the community, whilst retaining its spiritual heart.”

The church has raised £320,000, including £10,000 from an anonymous donor and a £50,000 section 106 grant, for the building works, as well as £100,000 for the social care team in the first three years.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said: “We are pleased to confirm that St James Church will be the new location for West Hampstead Post Office to create a new ‘main’ style branch with extended opening hours for customers.
Timing for the move is to be announced.”

Finchley Road post office is also under threat of closure with potential council plans to move the service into Swiss Cottage Library.