Once again there is a threat to rural life in our area. Our post offices are threatened or are to be closed. Stoke Hammond's is for the moment open, but it is under review as I write.
The Post Office has asked us all to write to them concerning our views for their plan for the area as a whole, and about the access to future Post Office services including the availability of public transport and alternative access to key services a
nd relevant local demographics and impact on services.
WHY? They can get all the information they need from the internet and other sources available to the rest of us who have access to it. In addition they must know who uses their services; they only have to speak to the people running the local post office or check their own computers. As far as I can make out most services are logged on individual local computers within the service.
They must know we need and value our village post offices! Our own post mistress tells me they are increasingly busy! By closing the village post offices the company will only be cutting its own throat as local business customers find other means to send correspondence.
As usual those who will lose out are the elderly, the disabled, the single parent families, local businesses, and individuals who use the post office for forms, British Forces post office services, stamps, and sending parcels. I think it's about time a very large protest was mounted, because if we have to queue at Leighton Buzzard or Bletchley post office for hours on end with heavy parcels and packages the staff there are not going to be well received when customers eventually reach the counters.
I urge those in charge of the closures to think hard before they attempt any further action.
In the meantime villagers should write to Laura Tarling, Network Development, Freepost consultation team and no doubt some letters will scorch the paper they are written on!
From Hazel Turner, Stoke Hammond.
The full article contains 349 words and appears in Leighton Buzzard Observer newspaper.
