Residents in Wellow, Isle of Wight had received a letter from the Post Office service advising of planned close of Wellow Post Office and the outreach service in Shalfleet.
The ‘temporary’ closure of the Post Office follows the resignation of the postmaster. The service will cease from Thursday 30 January at 4.30pm in Wellow and noon on the same day in Shalfleet.
Brander: Investigating options to reinstate Post Office service
The Change Manager for Post Office Ltd, Graham Brander, said,
“I would like to assure you that we are currently investigating the options available which will enable us to reinstate a Post Office service to the local community.
“In exploring this, it is important that any future service is sustainable for the person operating the service, and for Post Office Limited. Future provision will reflect customer numbers and usage and we may take the opportunity to establish an alternative type of service.
“This may be a local style branch which runs alongside an established retail shop in newly refurbished premises and creates a more modern and convenient experience for customers.”
Working to find a solution
He added,
“I can assure you that we will continue to work to find a solution that will provide a Post Office service to the Wellow community.”
Seely: “Will be monitoring the situation closely”
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Robert Seely, said:
“Disappointed to hear about the forthcoming temporary closure of Wellow Post Office and the outreach service at Shalfleet following the resignation of the postmaster.
“It is important to do all we can to retain these services in our rural communities. I will be monitoring the situation closely and seeking a meeting with the Post Office.”
Freshwater (35 minutes bus ride) and Yarmouth Post Offices (15 minutes bus ride) have been suggested as the nearest alternatives.
Image: grassrootsgroundswell under CC BY 2.0
