News reaches us this morning that the ten Island Post Offices (detailed below) that were earmarked for closure by the Post Office WILL BE CLOSING.
On hearing the news, our Island MP, Andrew Turner is said to be furious. He spent a great deal of time working with the Rural Community Council and the Chamber of Commerce on a detailed response to their proposals and to date has still not even received a reply from them.
He said,
“I am very angry that the Post Office seems to have ignored all representations and I have asked them to provide a full response this morning to the issues that have been raised. If I fail to get satisfactory answers I shall take the matter up once again with Ministers. This supposed public consultation is a complete sham; the outcome was clearly decided before it was even started.”
Michael Bulpitt Chief Executive of the Rural Community Council had this to say,
“I am very disappointed that despite all the work we have put in and the support of Postwatch the Post Office have decided to ignore the points raised and go ahead with these closures. Post offices are at the heart of our rural communities and bureaucrats in London appear to have little understanding of how heavily many people rely on them.”
The Post Office plan to close some 2,500 branches across the UK in their latest cost cutting programme.
Here’s the list of unfortunate closures on the Island:
Calbourne, The Old Dairy, Calbourne PO30 4JA
Church, Hooke Hill, Freshwater PO40 9BL
Havenstreet, Main Road, Ryde PO33 4DH
Hunny Hill, 135 Hunny Hill, Newport PO30 5HS
Lowtherville 29 Newport Road, Ventnor PO38 1AW
Meadow Road, 22 Meadow Road, East Cowes PO32 6HU
Medina, 5-7 York Street, Cowes PO31 7BS
Strand, 38 Simeon Street, Ryde PO33 1JQ
West Street, 36 Swanmore Road, Ryde PO33 2TQ
Wilton Park Road, 23 Arthurs Hill, Shanklin PO37 6EZ
