Post Office Support

MEMBURY PARISH COUNCIL

  COPY OF LETTER TO:-

Sue Huggins

Programme Director - Network Change

Post Office Ltd.

80/86 Old Street

London

EC1V 9NN

Friday, 30^th November 2007

Dear Sue,

                I am writing to you on behalf of Membury Parish Council's "Save Our Post Office" campaign. I am a councillor and elected head of the sub-committee.

Membury is a rural, agricultural parish on the Somerset/Dorset/ Devon border with some 440 people on the electoral roll plus around 40 children - of which about 20 attend the village primary school. The parish is roughly equi-distant from Axminster (Devon) and Chard (Somerset), each (depending upon in which part of the parish one lives) between 3 and 6 miles distant by road. With either trip this round-trip takes at least an hour out of the working day. We are not on or near a "through" road and therefore have the pleasure of little traffic. However, this does require us to be self-sufficient with occasional forays into one or other of the two towns mentioned above. Natural communication routes follow the valleys and tend to be north/south. In the next valleys (east/west) we have similar-sized villages of Stockland and Chardstock - each 2½to 3 miles away along single-track lanes with occasional passing places. There is only one bus per week - into Axminster. It leaves at 10.30 on Thursday morning, returning at about 2.30 pm same day and allows 2½ hours over the lunch period for all business (banking and ATM, doctor, optician, dentist, solicitor, clothing and weekly supermarket shop etc.). The only other transport is by private car or taxi (at a cost of £20 each trip to or from either town). Mobility, carbon footprint and access are all, therefore, key to us.

As well as the school there is a church, village hall, and shop-cum-meeting place-cum-post office.

The remoteness has helped to engender a close community spirit and there are some 13 clubs and societies, ranging from theatricals to badminton (some say there is little difference!) and short mat bowls to art. The population is largely senior with some 30% retired.

The level of business has steadily improved in our post office over the past few years. As such, this has justified your supporting it for full-time opening - whereas it was only part-time - and it has benefited from the shop owner making significant personal and EU "Leadership+" Grant investments building a "Meeting Place" and library where one can chat over tea/coffee and cakes/snacks - even enjoy an alcoholic beverage! The resultant press and TV coverage plus the increased foot-traffic has benefited the Post Office business, cementing and further accelerating the steady transaction growth. This growth has been achieved despite the general decline due to the removal of TV licences, weekly pension book payments and the ever increasing pressure for us all to use the internet for VED, bill payments etc. The village Post Office is our only source of cash withdrawal without travelling 4 miles to the nearest ATM, together with the increased problems (and cost) of finding car parking. Increasingly, we are finding that people are working from home using computers and internet. Their work-related necessary postal business can be done in the village - without this it would be a special car journey to Axminster or Chard.

As well as the investment, as part of her progressive approach to maximising potential Post Office trade, the postmistress has initiated a "Surprise Supplies" project for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the time of writing there are 91 parcels to be despatched through Royal Mail. Further, there are discussions underway to seek help, in conjunction with Devon County Council, to provide an open internet and educational point for public use - and consequential benefit to Post Office Ltd. So, this is an active community with future plans that is trying self-help and not sitting back in dumb acceptance.

The Parish Council considers the retention of full-time Post Office services as vital to the life of the community. Unlike any alternative, there is ample and free parking outside our PO: it provides a common point for shop, library, social and Post Office related business: it provides a source for cash withdrawal: it reduces our carbon footprint: it increases our "sustainability" and it maximises the efficient use of an existing building and infrastructure. And, as important in a rural community, it is a central meeting and communication point for the elderly (the fastest growing age-group in the parish) - as well as the younger members of our community.

In summary we ask that you consider Membury's case for keeping it's Post Office for these reasons:-

• A record of increasing Post Office business through Membury PO - despite the closure of 2 catalogue and internet based businesses in the parish and the increased encouragement for all to use the internet rather than PO.
• Distance to the nearest alternative being 4 miles by road
• Lack of public transport
• Age of our typical parishioner and the number that rely solely upon this Post Office
• No ATM within 4 miles
• The increased carbon footprint we would all be forced to create with the loss of local Post Office
• Our access criteria
• Restriction in our ability to attract people to our parish who would wish to work from home and use the associated postal services
• Good parking available
• Planned business development programme

I hope that you will consider these points when making your decision. You and/or your staff are only too welcome to visit us and see for yourself.