Post Office closure fears across Sussex (From The Argus)
Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Post Office closure fears across Sussex
5:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Bill Gardner
Campaigners outside threatened Uckfield Post Office – Picture by Ron Hill
Campaigners are stepping up efforts to halt the planned closure of three high street post offices.
Last month it was announced that 70 Crown branches – sites that are owned directly by the Post Office – could close and “partner” with nearby stores.
Branches in Littlehampton, Uckfield and Hastings have all been listed as “looking for a retail partner”.
The Post Office claims the relocations will safeguard postal services in the towns.
A group of residents gathered in High Street, Uckfield, on Saturday, March 9 to protest against the move.
John Sones, from the Communication Workers Union, said moving the post office would be a “complete disaster” for the town.
He said: “If the post office closes, the north end of Uckfield will die because footfall will decrease. We would also lose the expertise of the staff.
“And what happens if the so-called ‘retail partner’ decides to pack up and leave? We would be left with no postal service at all.”
The move is aimed at stemming some of the £40 million annual losses at the Crown branches. If stores cannot be found to accommodate the post offices the company said it will not close the branches.
Break-up services
In Hastings, the Post Office plans to close the central branch and break up the services into local shops or banks.
Sarah Owen, the town’s Labour candidate for MP, said the proposals were “flawed”.
She said: “The central post office is an important part of our town centre.
"Ours is incredibly busy and to try and squeeze the public into already busy shops or banks will not work.
“People with prams, wheelchairs and mobility scooters would struggle to get served. This plan is flawed and should be scrapped.”
A spokeswoman for the Post Office said: “We already have more than 3,000 branches where customers are accessing services in this way.
"We are still committed to having a Crown post office within the area. This is not a closure programme.”
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
- Victim "fabricated" sex assault story - day eleven of Albion players' trial
- Dad-of-two was visiting brother and nephew when he was gunned down in Hove
- UPDATE: A27 closed in both directions near Worthing after serious accident
- Sussex's sewage will become drinking water under new plans
- Brighton Half Marathon places are selling in record time
Add us to your circles on Google+
Comments(4)
Sussex jim
says...
8:54am Fri 15 Mar 13
mustaphaLeeko wrote:The Post Office is not just for letter writers. Many people carry out other transactions at post offices, and some even bank there, and many small mail-order businesses rely on it.
All very sad blah blah blah!
The fact is how many people write letters any more, possibly only the elderly?
I haven't sent a single letter in many years apart from Xmas and birthday cards, all mine is done via email!
Also the opening up of the business mail market to commercial competition has forced Royal mail to make closures, these competitors don't have to keep retail premises (Post Offices) open and operate out of huge central warehouses.
Hardly a huge surprise that places, especially smaller Post offices, become a huge liability, great shame but that's the way it goes!
Serf
says...
9:55am Fri 15 Mar 13
mustaphaLeeko wrote:The Post Office in Uckfield is always very busy.
All very sad blah blah blah!
The fact is how many people write letters any more, possibly only the elderly?
I haven't sent a single letter in many years apart from Xmas and birthday cards, all mine is done via email!
Also the opening up of the business mail market to commercial competition has forced Royal mail to make closures, these competitors don't have to keep retail premises (Post Offices) open and operate out of huge central warehouses.
Hardly a huge surprise that places, especially smaller Post offices, become a huge liability, great shame but that's the way it goes!
Roundbill
says...
4:05pm Fri 15 Mar 13
Sussex jim wrote:By "small mail-order businesses", I assume you mean dodgy pikeys flogging cr@p on eBay and not paying any income tax?
mustaphaLeeko wrote:The Post Office is not just for letter writers. Many people carry out other transactions at post offices, and some even bank there, and many small mail-order businesses rely on it.
All very sad blah blah blah!
The fact is how many people write letters any more, possibly only the elderly?
I haven't sent a single letter in many years apart from Xmas and birthday cards, all mine is done via email!
Also the opening up of the business mail market to commercial competition has forced Royal mail to make closures, these competitors don't have to keep retail premises (Post Offices) open and operate out of huge central warehouses.
Hardly a huge surprise that places, especially smaller Post offices, become a huge liability, great shame but that's the way it goes!
mustaphaLeeko says...
7:23pm Thu 14 Mar 13
The fact is how many people write letters any more, possibly only the elderly?
I haven't sent a single letter in many years apart from Xmas and birthday cards, all mine is done via email!
Also the opening up of the business mail market to commercial competition has forced Royal mail to make closures, these competitors don't have to keep retail premises (Post Offices) open and operate out of huge central warehouses.
Hardly a huge surprise that places, especially smaller Post offices, become a huge liability, great shame but that's the way it goes!