Memorandum submitted by Save Tilton Post
Office Campaign
BERR SELECT COMMITTEE
PO CLOSURES REPORT:
REASONS FOR
CLOSURE OF
BRANCHES?
1. I wrote to you on 8 February pointing
out that the reasons for the confirmed closure of "our"
PO branch (Tilton) and, as far as I could see, of all other confirmed
closing branches in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
as well, had not been published in the final decision booklet,
despite the assurances given by Ms Vennells (see 2 below; emphasis
added) and Mr Cook (see 3 below; emphasis added).
For information, I append the whole of the textual
entry in the Leics etc decision booklet, showing that no
reason of any sort was given for closure of the Tilton PO—either
proposed (as a search of the initial consultation booklet
shows) or confirmed (as 4 below shows: emphasis added).
Since this directly conflicts with the impression
which seems to have been given to your Committee by PO Ltd witnesses
(one or two—it is unclear), it would surely seem appropriate
to raise such an important matter with the Post Office management.
I cannot resist appending a short note about
the farcical situation we now find ourselves in, in Tilton. Having
confirmed (in the area decision booklet) that Tilton would instead
be granted a hosted outreach service for three mornings a week,
an offer was made by POL to the current shopkeeper-cum-postmistress
(for just under four weeks more, only) to pay her £5 per
session for the rental of about one square metre of counter space
from 31 March. The three planned sessions per week would occupy
10 hours—which means the offer was worth £1.50 per
hour!! She unsurprisingly refused it, and it is understood that
Oakham PO (the "organiser" of the outreach arrangement)
were unable to afford any more!!! No alternative facility is available
in the village in the mornings, so at present we face the prospect
in four weeks' time of having lost our PO (after 150 years), and
having no outreach at all. Presumably that will throw out PO Ltd's
achievement of the minimum access criteria that it has to meet,
with consequences that we have not yet established.
2. UNCORRECTED
ORAL EVIDENCE—TUESDAY
5 FEBRUARY 2008
Q186 Roger Berry: Local consultation documents
contain very little information on why certain branches have been
elected for closure, which was obviously a criticism made the
last time round. Why not explain why particular branches have
been chosen?
Ms Vennells: We give the reason why branches
are selected for closure once we get to the decision stage because
at the consultation stage we are not consulting on a particular
branch, we are actually consulting on a number of closures that
need to be made ...
3. BERR SELECT
COMMITTEE REPORT
ON PO CLOSURE
PROGRAMME
14. Many of our respondents complained that,
even after considerable effort, they were given no reason why
particular branches had been chosen for closure (27). When we
put this to Alan Cook, he told us that these grounds were given
in the final decision booklet, and since the proposals were tentative,
it was inappropriate to give reasons why particular branches were
put forward for closure at an earlier stage (28). This is not
good enough. The closure programme is not just about the commercial
needs of Post Office Ltd—it also about the needs of communities
served by individual sub-post offices. If people are to respond
sensibly to proposals to close a particular sub-post office, they
need to know why that branch has been put forward for closure.
There may be some details which need to be kept confidential,
but this should be strictly limited, given the substantial public
investment in the network and the keen public interest in the
outcome. We welcome the fact that Post Office Ltd has been prepared
to share more information as the process has evolved; it should
give such information at the outset of the consultation process.
f/note 28: see Q 186
4. LEICESTERSHIRE
ETC AREA
DECISION BOOKLET
Post Office® Tilton on the Hill branch
Respondents' main concerns were the impact of
change on vulnerable customer groups; the impact on local businesses;
the availability of public transport; the distance and difficult
nature of the routes to other branches for people with mobility
problems, and the impact on the future of the local shop. The
excellent service provided by the staff at Tilton on the Hill
was also highlighted. Having regard to all comments received during
the local public consultation and all other relevant factors,
Post Office Ltd has decided to proceed with the closure of this
branch and replacement with an Outreach service.
Post Office Ltd has explored various options
in relation to the provision of an Outreach, and has decided to
introduce a Hosted service offering 10 hours per week from the
site of the current branch.
Opening hours will be as follows:
Monday 09.00 am to 12.30 pm
Wednesday 09.00 am to 12.00 noon
Friday 09.00 am to 12.30 pm
We are most grateful for your earlier interest
in our experiences. Please note that we are keeping Mr Alan Duncan,
our local MP, in touch with these developments.
3 March 2008
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