Local post offices close and fears of more to follow
West Dorset Liberal Democrats campaigning against the closure of local Post Offices
Local Liberal Democrats have greeted with dismay the announcement that all six of West Dorset’s threatened post offices are to close. Dr Sue Farrant said, “We all knew that the ‘consultation’ period was a sham. The Post Office has just steamed ahead with what it always intended to do. The thousands of people who signed petitions or supported our protests have been totally ignored.”
Only Buckland Newton is to get an ‘outreach’ service and hopes that West Bay would also get some sort of alternative have so far come to nothing. Local LibDem Councillor Karl Wallace has been working hard with the community to find someone prepared to provide secure storage so at least a parcel collection service could be provided. “I’ve called on nearly all of the businesses in West Bay”, he said, “But so far nobody has come forward. This is terrible news for the many very elderly people in West Bay who simply can’t get to the post office in Dorchester. They need a local service. If anyone thinks they might be able to help, they should get in touch with me.”
Sue Farrant believes that the loss of local services will get even worse. She said, “The government has just admitted that if Royal Mail doesn’t win the contract to keep paying people their benefits and pensions, thousands more post offices will be forced to shut down. It looks like they are planning to delay announcing the decision on the card account contract until after the Glenrothes by-election. I very much fear that is because they have already decided that post offices will no longer handle this vital government business. It is the rural post offices that will be worst hit and we must expect to lose many more in West Dorset”.
