An agreement has been reached for Royal Mail to continue picking up from Totland Bay Post Office, meaning the West Wight community will retain its local Post Office. Last month Island Echo reported that Totland was to lose its only Post Office at the end of April as a result of a decision by Royal Mail to stop collecting post and parcels. Island Community Ventures Ltd, which is owned by local charity Community Action Isle of Wight, runs the West Wight outreach hub to ensure those living in the rural area of Totland have access to important Post Office services. The company said that due to the drastic move by Royal Mail, the decision had been taken to close the Post Office as it was financially unviable to take the post/parcels on a daily basis from Totland to Island Community Venture’s central branch in Godshill. However, it has now been confirmed that an agreement has been reached that enables the Totland Bay Post Office to continue trading – in short, Royal Mail is now charging for collections. The additional costs incurred will be shared between Island Community Ventures Ltd and Totland Parish Council, who have agreed to not only continue but to increase their support for this key local service. A total of 375 people signed a petition to keep the service running, indicating local support for the outreach hub. Local residents are told that collections will now be made between noon and 12:30, Monday to Friday, so any post/parcels needing to be sent need to be at the Totland branch before noon. Bob Seely MP, who will be standing in the General Election for the new Isle of Wight constituency, has said:
“Lots of work has been going on in the background, and my thanks above all to Totland Parish Council and Mike Bulpitt at Community Action Isle of Wight for their commitment to keeping this service going. “I spoke with the Post Office to tell them the decision was a poor one, and Community Action Isle of Wight, who said that they were working on a solution. The new arrangement is that Royal Mail will be charging to pick up the mail; cheeky, but it solves a problem. “IW Community Action will be writing to me and I will take the issue up with Royal Mail regarding charging for outreach services, which is pointlessly damaging for the Post Office and its customers, and which needs to be challenged”.
‘Bob Seely MP, who will be standing in the General Election..’
Goodness, who knew, eh?
If the Royal Mail hadn’t been sold off money could have been used to keep this service rather paying out to shareholders but I’m sure pop up Bob will welcome this.
Royal Snail are an utter disgrace, they have had more price
increases than MPs have had pay increases.
Since when did Royal Mail start charging to collect mail from rural Post Offices when the sender has already paid the (now exceedingly high) charges to post their items?
Since the chief executives started creaming off the top rather than plough the money back into the service.
If Bob Seeley’s merry band of selfish, greedy money-grabbing self-servers had kept Royal Mail, Post Office and Parcelforce as one single, and, therefore, much more efficient, publically- owned and accountable entity, we wouldn’t be in this farcical situation.
Yup. See also British Gas, Water, Rail, Social Services, the NHS, Education…..the list is truly endless.
Surprised seldom seen seely hasnt claimed he had a hand in this,considering he claims credit for most things that he hasnt done