Caroline Nokes, the Conservative Candidate for Romsey and Southampton North, has expressed her grave concerns for rural communities who are set to lose their Post Offices as a result of Government cuts to the network. The latest details of closures have been released today - detailing the impact that it will have on Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
In the Romsey Constituency both Chilworth and Leckford are set to lose their Post Offices completely, and West Tytherley and Lockerley are earmarked to receive only an "outreach service", which is not adequately defined in the document released today. In both of those villages the existing Post Office services are in the local shop, and this decision by the Government will certainly lead to a loss of revenue for those important village facilities.
Caroline said:
"Government policies have undermined the small post offices businesses. It has stripped pension and TV license and Road Tax business away from sub post offices and it is Gordon Brown who, as Chancellor, designed the financial plan for the Post Office and must carry the can for the destruction of a first-class community service.
The Post Office is putting forward proposals for Mobile Post offices, home visits and the like but these will not assist the small retail businesses that are vital to local people and that have historically been founded upon and around post offices. I think this Government has forgotten that public transport in rural areas is inadequate, and is choosing to ignore that these cuts to local services will impact most upon the mostvulnerable.
I hope that not just the affected villages, but communities throughout our areawill writein response to the "consultation" so that we can save those community post offices that serve the most vulnerable in our towns and villages.
For full details of the consultation document go to
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=57600697
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Caroline Nokes signs the petition against Post Office Closures at Wellow Post Office |
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