Island MP Bob Seely has teamed up with local charity Community Action IW to try to secure Post Office provision on the Island.
Together they are urging local town and parish councils to help support struggling, or previously unsuccessful, rural services and have also called for a meeting with national Post Office CEO Nick Read to seek support for local services, which could include a mobile service for areas where services are under threat.
They have also asked Mr Read what support is available through the new Government funds for Post Office service sustainability, to support either Newport Post Office or rural services.
In Newport, despite best efforts, no major retailer had expressed an interest in taking on a larger scale Post Office outlet. The Post Office was previously located in the Co-Operative on Pyle Stree, but the shop closed last month.
Mr Seely and Community Action IW are asking town and parish councils to consider modest financial support for outreach services in villages.
Bob Seely has said:
“We need to take Island-wide action to ensure that post office services are put on as sustainable a footing as possible, and that services remain convenient and available for as many people as possible, both in towns and in rural communities.”
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Community Action IW is currently running Godshill Post Office and shop and the outreach services at Totland, Whippingham and Brading, at a loss, through its trading arm Island Community Ventures Ltd (ICV), which puts the longevity of the outreach services at risk.
With a number of rural outreach services closed or under threat, new partnerships between Community Action IW and town and parish councils could be the solution.
Mike Bulpitt of Community Action IW said:
“In recent years, several individuals have tried to provide services, but each time the business model has failed without the backing of a strong partnership.
“Community Action is keen to support Island communities with the delivery of post office services, but we cannot do it alone.
“We have recently put in place new arrangements with Godshill and Totland Parish Councils where they will financially support what we are already delivering.
“What we are keen to do is take on delivery of other rural outreach services, but we need town and parish councils to back us financially.”
The cost of ICV delivering rural post office services would be around £1,000 a year or £19.23 a session.
Bob said:
“It is clear that partnership working is the key to securing long-term post office services across the Island.
“I am grateful to Community Action IW for the work they are doing, and I hope that working together we can find solutions that are sustainable and meet the needs of Island communities.
“I would urge town and parish councils to seriously consider supporting the work ICV is doing. This may be the only way to ensure services continue or resume, in their areas. The cost is extremely modest considering the value it brings.
“I would like to thank the residents and councillors who have written to me on this issue. Please be assured that I am doing all I can but please, if anyone has any further ideas, do let me know.”
Mr Seely and Mr Bulpitt have also asked the Post Office if they can assist with operational elements to make the delivery of outreach services as cost-efficient as possible which would include equipment for outreach delivery, combining outreach period end monitoring reports and Royal Mail / Post Office Ltd co-operation around pickups in Totland.
All this arises through the botched scheme put in place by guess-which Party to privatise PO and Royal Mail via the back door, opening them all up to competition (ie cherry-picking) while simiultaneously failing to scrutinise their activities, As a result, Post Office now has far fewer services to offer (=less footfall, less turnover) and its local managers have been subject to fraudulent (as proved in Court) rip-off by their own directors.
Yet another success story from our Tory government; and now Seldom wants to claim Brownie points for “supporting”.
You couldn’t make it up – but you don’t need to, it’s happening daily.
The privatisation of the Post Office is the problem. How it is still allowed to call itself Royal Mail is beyond my comprehension. The answer is so obvious, Make part of the government again and ensure everywhere has a Post Office. By the way there is an empty one in Newport, built for the job.
Post Office and Royal Mail are now (thanks to government meddling) completely separate entities.
Yes, of course the Post Office with its role in supporting Social Services is a natural monopoly and should be in public hands, with public funding support if necessary.
You could make the same argument for Royal Mail and the Universal Delivery Obligation. In fact, why not roll them together and save money?
Yes, silly idea (or at least not Conservative thinking).
Mobile service is the answer, get them over here, it would be ideal. Why keep running up the hill, just gets steeper.
And would help if post office doesn’t keep putting up its parcel prices, they no longer cheapest in town.
I think you will find that one of the MAJOR obstacles that the Post Office have put in place is that Post Office have decided that to operate a Post Office the location must have a non-Post Office revenue of several thousands of pounds per week to qualify.
has obviously been a very sound basis for locating Offices as there has been a steady decline in the number operating on not just the Island but in locations on the mainland as well.
How about they open up post offices in the Libraries.
They couldn’t do that they’ve shut most of the libraries , another success !!!!! Not .
Have noticed a few redundant phone boxes with books in but alas no room for a counter!!!!!! .