Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, is to challenge the Post Office and the CO-OP over plans for post office services in her area following persistent rumours that the service for a number of villages is to be scrapped.
They are meant to provide a service for those without transport in this very rural area and are run by Pontesbury Post Office.
The trouble is that the Postmaster wants to retire. It looks like the Co-op in the village is happy to hake on the village post office but not take on the outreach work. If we are not careful then we could be left without a service in any of these villages.
Despite assurances in 2008 there has been no consultation on this issue by the Post office in any of these communities. I will be contacting both them and the Co-op as a matter of urgency*. I will also be contacting the Jo Swinson MP Minister responsible having been assured by his predecessor Ed Davey MP that this was the last round of closures.
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* Heather’s email to the Post Offices director:
Dear Mr Ennis
I have been told that you are the Director for the Programme for Network transformation for the Post Office. I have a number of questions that I need answering quite urgently, please?
The Pontesbury Post Office runs outreach to Marton, Stiperstones, and Wentnor and a Partnership with Worthen. I believe there is another outreach too.
There was a consultation about the moving of them to Connexions Ltd in Pontesbury. Is it right that such a significant move should not have also been consulted on in the outreach areas?
What formal process is now underway, please? Marton Shop has been told that their services is to cease. Is that true of the other Post office services in this group, please? And for Marton?
What constraints are there on reorganising Post Office services?
How close should services be in rural areas and what safeguards have been put in place by the Government to ensure services are still accessible in areas such as mine?
I have been told that the PO likes to move all services into Supermarkets turning over at least £4k a year, is this true? If so what does the Post office do in areas such as ours where these are few and far between and public transport is extremely poor.
At what point would Shropshire Councillors be involved in this? All I have heard is rumour.
Charlotte Barnes above is the Councillor for Bishop’s Castle whose PO is Wentnor.
Heather Kidd
Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury & Worthen
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