Residents will now be able to use a temporary post office in the Meriden as its permanent home prepares to open.

The redevelopment of the Meriden has meant the temporary closure of the existing post office, as the owners finalise their preparations to move to the brand-new parade of shops.

However, Watford Community Housing (WCH) has worked with the Post Office to arrange for a temporary service to be provided at the Meriden Community Centre.

The new ‘pop-up’ unit is now open and will remain available until the beginning of October - it will be open 09:00-17:30 Monday to Saturday.

It comes after the launch of the new temporary bus service that can take residents to the post office on Bushey Mill Lane, with WCH having partnered with Watford Borough Council to offer on-demand ArrivaClick services for free.

Watford MP Dean Russell had suggested a temporary bus service that could take residents to the post office on Bushey Mill Lane whilst the temporary post office was under construction.

He said: “I am delighted that Watford Community Housing were able to take forward my idea of having a bus service. There are many people on the Meriden that rely on the post office, so I am really pleased that Watford Community Housing made this service available.

“I would like to thank everybody that has helped to get this idea up and running to ensure residents can continue to access vital post office services.”

Both the temporary post office and the community bus service are being funded by WCH.

WCH’s Tina Barnard said: “We know how important the post office is to residents, so we’re thrilled to be able to provide these additional services for the community. These will ensure that local people continue to have access to the services they need at all times.

“We’re committed to working in partnership to deliver for our residents and communities, and this is a great example of that.”

Steve Williams, Head of Facilities & Inclusion for Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust, said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to help support Meriden residents throughout this transformational period on the estate – accommodating a temporary Post Office at the Meriden Community Centre.

“We were asked at very short notice to assist and as our registered charity is all about serving communities, we were determined to help both Watford Community Housing and the local people.”