MP demands Post Office stop ‘running down’ rural branches

Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord has criticised the decision by the Post Office to not recruit a sub-postmaster for Raymond’s Hill Post Office, warning that not replacing it would be yet another example of rural services being diminished on the backs of local communities.

Today, in a letter to residents’ representatives – including the local MP Richard Foord - the Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake confirmed that the Post Office would not be seeking to replace the Raymond’s Hill Post Office – now that the premises have become vacant.

This means that people in Raymond’s Hill seeking to access Post Office counter services will have to travel to Axminster, Uplyme, or further afield, in order to do so after this date.

Mr Foord has hit out at the decision by Post Office bosses in London. He has said the news is a huge blow for the area - and said he feared this could be just the start of a push to ‘run down’ the rural Post Office network.

This shock news comes in the wake of increased scrutiny of the way the Post Office is run, following ITV’s groundbreaking drama series Mr Bates vs the Post Office – which focused on action of senior bosses during the Horizon Post Office scandal.

Tiverton & Honiton MP Richard Foord said:

“The news that the Raymond’s Hill village Post Office will be disappearing completely is a blow for the community and all those who rely on the service.

“So much is done through the Post Office, especially in areas like ours where access to a physical bank branch is far harder to come by. I am concerned about the impact this closure will have, particularly on elderly residents who cannot travel as easily.

“We all understand that sometimes circumstances change and services need to move where they operate out of, but by outright refusing to replace this service, the Post Office is signalling that they don’t care for areas like ours.

“In recent years we’ve seen many services disappear from our towns and villages – particularly bank branches and local libraries. Now we are seeing more and more Post Office branches also threatened, and communities left wondering what will be left of them if this trend isn’t reversed.

“Local sub-postmasters and those who work in our post offices are often at the heart of the community and help so many people. We cannot allow these vital hubs to be run-down and stripped away, while London-based executives reward themselves for consolidating their business.

“I was contacted by a Raymond’s Hill constituent who inspired me to raise our objection with the Government Minister.  He wrote to the Post Office to pass on that objection. I also encourage everyone who values our rural post offices to do the same and lodge your objection too. We should make plain to the Post Office that we won’t stand for this.”

Those wishing to express their strength of feeling about this closure can do so:
Online: Postofficeviews.co.uk
Email: Comments@postoffice.co.uk
Letter: FREEPOST Your Comments
Call: 03452 66 01 15
Textphone: 03457 22 33 55