A NATIONAL pub chain has confirmed it is expecting its newest outlet to be open in time for Christmas, now the post office has confirmed it will be moving out of the building.

JD Wetherspoon's already has permission to convert the property on Richmond's Queen's Road into a new nightspot, swallowing up both the old sorting office and the counter service.

But, yesterday, a spokesman for Consignia confirmed staff will be relocating to a new, town centre site within the next few weeks.

"Our plans to relocate have been out for consultation, and we are happy to confirm that we will be relocating to a more central location, on Finkle Street, in Richmond, on Sat-urday, September 8,'' he said.

"The office will continue to operate on its present site until the move and there will be no interruption in service," he added.

Meanwhile. a spokesman for the architects leading the conversion of the post office said contractors should be on site in early October.

The £1m project - which will create 25 full or part-time jobs - includes a restaurant and beer garden, although planning restrictions ban live entertainment, pool tables and loud music.

The new nightspot will be named The Ralph Fitz Randal, in honour of the man who helped the Grey Friars found their nearby monastery in Richmond, in the 13th Century.

In the meantime, the new post office will open in the old Tabwell Tools shop, opposite Ken Warne's, on Finkle Street, on Monday, September 10.

However, although the destiny of the post office seems secure, a number of local publicans remain concerned their livelihoods could be at risk once the new pub opens.

They claim some are already struggling to survive, specially in a year when trade is down by a quarter due to foot-and-mouth disease, and more competition will be enough to push them over the brink.

"There's nothing we can do now but wait," said landlady at the Town Hall Hotel, Nita Galvin, who led an unsuccessful attempt to persuade planners to block Wetherspoon's.

"There are quite a few who are really worried but we will just have to see what happens," she said.