MP's help for threatened rural post offices
Press Release :
28 March 2008
Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski met today with Mr Mike Dalton, the Head of External Relations for Central and West England at the Royal Mail, to discuss with him the Government’s scheme of Post Office closures that is due to be announced next week.
Although relieved to learn that only very few out of the 2,500 Post Offices earmarked for closure in the country are in Shrewsbury & Atcham, Daniel nonetheless is hoping to secure the future of services in these communities if at all possible.
Of these threatened Post Offices, the majority are in rural areas and Mr Dalton explained that there are still some options available to save these services for the village communities that they serve. There will be a six-week consultation period, during which there are three possible ways forward: an ‘outreach service’ (where a nearby subpostmaster runs a van-based service); a ‘hosted service’ (where the Post Office is relocated to another site, such as a village hall); or a ‘partner service’ (where the Post Office is colocated in a community shop).
Communities who find out next week that their Post Offices are indeed on the list for closure are encouraged to contact Daniel if they have alternative proposals for any of the above services.
Daniel said, “Mr Dalton from Royal Mail has assured me that he will be able to consider any credible alternative plans that are produced by communities that are losing their Post Offices. I would ask any communities that wish for me to help them approach Royal Mail about securing the future of their Post Office to contact me at my constituency office.”
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