By Thom Kennedy

Last updated at 16:32, Friday, 12 March 2010

A community group in Carlisle is considering what to do with a strip of shop units after being told the Post Office would not consider returning to the area.

Mary Hetherington

The Denton Street Group, made up of members of St James Church, had hoped to provide a post office service in its premises on the corner of Denton Street and Norfolk Street.

But the post office claims that the area’s accessibility on bus routes into the city centre and towards Morton meant Denton Holme does not necessarily need its own branch. Keeping a service running one day a week would not work, the Post Office added, and now the church group must consider how best to use the empty building.

Mary Hetherington, the parish administrator and a member of the group, said there were various options for the vacant premises.

She said: “We want to retain our charity shop but are looking at ideas and possibilities. We may have some kind of coffee lounge and possibly offer a debt counselling service, or an after-school homework club.

“We did a survey round the parish and most people said they wanted a post office, which is why we looked into opening the premises for that purpose, but having had a conversation with Post Office Limited we were told it wouldn’t reconsider its decision to not offer that service in Denton Holme.

“We are now looking for other uses which we can establish from within our parish funds and congregational donations, although we may look to see if we can get any kind of grants.”

She added: “There are one or two empty units in Denton Holme; it’s about keeping the right balance of services.

“We get a lot of people calling into the shop who say it would be good to have a larger church presence down there, to be where people are and try to provide the services that people need.”

The group bought the property two years ago, although it was only recently that other tenants, including bakery Routledge’s, moved out to leave the premises next to the Opportunity Shop empty.

First published at 14:14, Friday, 12 March 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk