SUMMERTOWN residents are celebrating the return of their post office after more than a decade and hope it will give a boost to the area.

A branch of the Post Office will return to the area in the coming weeks for the first time since Martin’s newsagents became Costa Coffee in 2008.

After years of campaigning, Summertown residents were celebrating the news that The Co-operative in Banbury Road would soon be installing a counter for basic services.

Resident Linora Lawrence said: “The post office is often the hub of a community and it will increase the amount of people coming into Summertown.

“Rather than just being a row of shops, it will be somewhere people will go and then maybe have a coffee together after.

“It’s good from an environmental point of view as well.

"It will stop car journeys to Wolvercote or even trips to St Aldate’s.”

The nearest post office for the past 10 years has been at First Turn in Wolvercote, which itself is now under threat.

Wolvercote resident Mike Gotch, who will be running for election to the city council in the Summertown ward in May, said it was great for businesses.

He said: “I have regularly seen people walking to Wolvercote with arms full of parcels, often from solicitors offices in Summertown.

“There are so many businesses in the area and it will be great for them – I remember when Summertown used to have two post offices, it is definitely a place that needs one.”

City councillor for the area, Jean Fooks, said: “I have been campaigning for this for the best part of 10 years, so this is wonderful news.

“It’s something people kept asking for and I’m pleased The Co-op and Post Office have agreed to finally make it happen.”

Summertown resident and Age UK volunteer Keith Turner, 68, said: “It’s definitely going to be great for Summertown and it will be really well used.

“If we don’t use it well we may lose it again.

“It will also bring more people into the heart of the community and be much more convenient for elderly people.”

In September 2011 the Post Office claimed there was ‘insufficient demand’ to re-instate the branch despite a three-year campaign from residents across the area.

The following year it was hoped postal services could be incorporated into a proposed renovation of Summertown Library.

The library project was delayed as a fundraising campaign was launched and supermarkets in Summertown were urged to house postal services instead.

Negotiations between Post Office and Co-op restarted last year and city councillor Jean Fooks was able to announce the news earlier this week.

The counter is expected to be installed in the next month.