Totland’s Post Office will close at the end of April as a result of a decision by Royal Mail to stop collecting post and parcels, it has been announced. 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. However, the decision has been made to shut up shop from 30th April as a result of a drastic move by Royal Mail. Royal Mail has given notice that it will no longer be collecting post and parcels from Totland Post Office as of Easter Monday (1st April). The shock news has been digested and alternative plans considered, but it’s been deemed financially unviable to take the post/parcels on a daily basis from Totland to Island Community Venture’s central Post Office branch in Godshill. Mike Bulpitt, Chief Executive of Community Action Isle of Wight, has said:
“With the support of Totland Parish Council, we’ve delivered this outreach service for a number of years since the previous sub postmaster retired and it is frustrating that we cannot continue especially as it is a well used service. “Unfortunately even when well used it doesn’t make it economically viable and the additional operating costs incurred as a result of the change by Royal Mail, means that we will have to close. “I’d like to thank our staff who have helped us to deliver this much-valued local service and all those who have used our services locally.”
Other Post Offices run by Island Community Ventures, in Godshill, Brading and Wootton, will continue as normal. Those living in the West Wight can still access Post Office services at Tesco in Freshwater.
Dreadful news for those living in the Totland area. Not everybody can drive or catch a bus to Tesco.
Time to boy cot the PO and take a stand.
It’s not the Post Office’s fault. It has been forced on them by Royal Mail’s decision.
What Mike Bulpitt failed to say in his report there is the Royal Mail is still going to pick up the mail in the post box outside the local shop directly the other side of the road to the post office but ‘’it’s not economically viable’’ to collect the mail 15 yards away! What a joke! I think Mike needs to change the end of his surname for that pathetic excuse to close another local popular post office! If he’s meant to to be some chief executive of community action what hope have we got?? We need to stand up and save the post office before some moron takes it away from us!