Key Points
- The Post Office outlet based within the Kings Chase Shopping Centre in Kingswood will close down permanently on November 18, 2026.
- This permanent closure will be occasioned by the planned closing of the retailer TG Jones (previously known as WHSmith), at which the Post Office outlet is based and will shut shop on November 24, 2026.
- The community will have a forecast period of six months without the presence of the service, with no expected opening date of the new outlet until April or May 2027.
- The South Gloucestershire Council, property managers Praxis, the Labour councillors, and MP of Bristol North East Damien Egan are working on ways to maintain uninterrupted service.
- A temporary location will not be considered by the Post Office in the intervening period due to setup time and the proximity of other branches in Hanham, Staple Hill, and Fishponds.
- The Kingswood Post Office outlet is visited by about 1,500 individuals per week.
Kingswood (Bristol Express News) September 15, 2026 – Kingswood residents are facing the prospect of being left without local Post Office services for a period of six months after officials confirmed that the community branch inside the Kings Chase Shopping Centre will shut down permanently towards the end of the year.
As reported by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, the Kings Chase Shopping Centre’s Post Office branch is scheduled to shut for good on November 18. This permanent shutdown directly follows the impending closure of retailer TG Jones—formerly known as WHSmith—which operates the branch on its premises and will close its doors on November 24.
Why is the Kingswood Post Office closing permanently?
The permanent closure of the branch is a direct consequence of the retail closure of TG Jones, which has housed the Post Office counter service for years. According to details shared by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, the loss of the retail host means the existing facility can no longer remain operational in its current location, forcing a complete relocation process.
Will there be a temporary Post Office facility during the transition?
The Post Office has officially ruled out the establishment of a temporary facility during the interim period. As noted by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, organisation officials cited setup time constraints and the close proximity of alternative branches situated in Hanham, Staple Hill, and Fishponds as the primary reasons for rejecting a temporary site.
Local leaders, however, are pushing back against this disruption. South Gloucestershire Council, property manager Praxis acting on the council’s behalf, local Labour councillors, and Bristol North East MP Damien Egan have vowed to explore all available options to retain continuous Post Office services within the centre without a lengthy blackout window.
When will a new Post Office open in Kingswood town centre?
While the Post Office confirmed that it is actively negotiating to relocate the branch to another undisclosed shop within the Kingswood town centre, the transition period remains lengthy.
In a statement posted on Facebook and reported by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, Damien Egan stated:
“The Post Office have confirmed to me that they’re currently negotiating moving the post office to another shop in Kingswood, they couldn’t tell me which one, but said it would be in the Town Centre.”
Mr Egan further explained that the standard fit-out process for a replacement venue takes roughly half a year. As detailed by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, Mr Egan stated:
“They allow six months to get a new post office fitted out and ready to open. While they expect to be able to confirm where the new post office will be before TG Jones closes. There will be a gap before it opens. If their timings are accurate, it would mean they would let us know where the new post office will be in October/November, which would mean an anticipated opening of April/May 2027.”
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How will local residents be affected by the temporary closure?
The six-month gap is expected to impact thousands of regular users. According to figures shared by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, approximately 1,500 people use the Post Office in Kingswood every week.
While general mail and banking services can be accessed at any alternative Post Office, specialized provisions will require travel. In his statement reported by Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live, Mr Egan noted:
“Kingswood does also provide a Document Certification Service and in-person support for driving license and passport applications – these services I was told would be available from Staple Hill or Fishponds.”
For standard bill payments during the interim, residents have been advised that transactions can be completed at any local shop displaying a Payzone or Paypoint sticker. Furthermore, Mr Egan confirmed that the Post Office has agreed to maintain open communication and meet again to provide updates regarding the exact new location.
Reflecting on the wider impact of the retail shutdown, Mr Egan added via Ellie Kendall Reporter of Bristol Live:
“Finally, how sad to lose TG Jones and sorry to hear people are losing their jobs. It’s been there (as WH Smith’s) since as long as I can remember and feels like a big loss for the high street. Councillors are on the case to South Glos, in terms of promoting the site and let’s hope someone else will take on and it isn’t left empty for too long.”
Background of the particular development
The closure of the Kingswood Post Office highlights ongoing structural shifts within British high streets, where anchor retail stores are increasingly downsizing or disappearing, dragging vital ancillary community services down with them. The Kings Chase Shopping Centre has served as a retail and civic hub for the local South Gloucestershire community for decades, with the former WHSmith (later TG Jones) acting as a primary footfall driver.
When commercial leases collapse or retailers enter insolvency, integrated counters like Post Office branches face immediate operational jeopardy because finding a commercial partner willing to absorb a sub-post office counter requires complex negotiations, regulatory sign-offs, and substantial capital investment for refitting. Local authorities and parliamentarians are frequently drawn into these disputes as communities protest the sudden loss of accessible banking and administrative services, particularly for elderly or vulnerable demographics who rely on physical high street infrastructure.
This development is anticipated to significantly impact elderly, disabled, and digitally excluded residents across Kingswood who rely on face-to-face postal, banking, and document verification services. With the nearest alternative branches situated in Staple Hill, Fishponds, and Hanham, local patrons—particularly the 1,500 weekly users—will face increased travel burdens, heavier reliance on public transport, or congestion at neighboring facilities over the six-month hiatus. Additionally, the simultaneous loss of TG Jones and the Post Office risks dealing a heavy blow to footfall at the Kings Chase Shopping Centre, potentially depressing trade for surrounding independent retailers until a permanent replacement venue is successfully fitted and opened in mid-2027.
