A CAMPAIGNING councillor has vowed to do all he can to prevent a shop and post office closing down in Billericay. 

According to Billericay East ward Conservative councillor Andrew Schrader, the people running the One Stop shop and Post Office have handed the landlord their 12-month notice. 

If new tenants are not found to run the business, it will close and Billericay High Street will be left without a post office. 

According to Mr Schrader, the business “has had interests from retailers” and he is determined to keep a post office counter in the High Street.

He added: “My priority is to retain counter service in the High Street, which people use for day-to-day banking because it’s a vital resource to the community.

“I heard the rumour that it was closing, which immediately raised alarm bells, and now I’m determined it stays.

“The council will be proactive in assisting to get a new provider, and that’s thanks to our good economic development team, for which we are very fortunate.”

Resident Sue Blackwell, 62, has said this will be “devastating news” for customers who rely on the post office. 

She said: “I always use the Billericay High Street post office because it’s the nearest one to me after the one in Stock shut about three years ago and was replaced by Budgens.

“It’s really beneficial for me because I take parcels there, send letters there, do some banking there, do some shopping there and meet people there. It’s a real community asset.

“All that is going to be lost if it’s no longer going to be there.

“Yes, there’s the post in Sunnyville just down the road, but it’s hard to get to if you haven’t got transport and no one wants to go where there’s not many people because they might not feel safe.

“If this goes, Billericay will just be coffee and charity shops, which is why I think the High Street is slowly fading away.”

A spokesman for One Stop said: “We can confirm that One Stop have taken the difficult decision to close our One Stop store in Billericay, resulting in the closure of the Post Office branch in this store.

"The store will be closing in November 2024, we will continue to provide a service until this time, or we may close the branch earlier if a replacement Post Office opens before next November.”