PENARTH Post Office is set to be modernised with a new open-plan layout, longer opening hours and a cash machine outside.

The Glebe Street post office will become a new ‘main’ style post office with a mixture of traditional screened and open plan counter positions.

There will also be a new range of services, products and retail transactions available during shop opening hours.

The post office will be closed from 5.30pm on Thursday, February 13, for modernisation work to be completed and will reopen on Monday, February 17, at 1pm.

During this period customers can use any Post Office branch, with Wood street Post Office Holmesdale Street Post Office, being the closest.

After modernisation work is completed Penarth Post Office will be open from 9am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, an increase of almost five hours a week extra for customers to access Post Office products and services.

There will also be an ATM machine outside the building.

Ann Hollyman, postmistress at Penarth’s Post Office, said: “It’s about improving the branch and bringing it up to date.

“It’s going to be more customer friendly and we will be doing a wide range of new services.”

Financial services will include the likes of mortgages.

She added that the queuing system inside would also be changed: “It’s going to be more of a snake long queue,” she said.

Post Office area network manager for Wales, Sue Whittall, said: “I am delighted to announce that we are to transform Penarth Post Office into one of our new main style branches. We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in the community and we are confident that this new modern Post Office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.”

She added: “This modernisation is part of a major investment programme to 2018, the largest in the history of the Post Office, that will see over 8000 branches (about two thirds of the Post Office network) converting to new-style branches. This investment makes a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”

Customers will be able to access the same wide range of Post Office products and services at the new branch.

The Post Office, now independent of Royal Mail, is the largest retail network in the UK, with over 11,500 branches. It is also one of the fastest growing financial services companies and is developing its online and telephony services.