Delight asa plan to move Victoria Park Post Office in Dorchester is shelved

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A DORCHESTER town councillor who petitioned to save Victoria Park Post Office from relocating to Poundbury has said it is 'great news' for the town that it will be staying.

Cllr Gerald Duke launched a petition following concerns of residents who would be unable to travel to Poundbury easily and concerns that a second Post Office in Poundbury could jeopardise the new business of Buttermarket Stores and Post Office.

Cllr Gerald Duke said: "Providing the Post Office in Maud Road can continue then I believe this is great news.

"We launched the petition because there was a lot of of concern in the area about its possible relocation and about the inconvenience for many of our particularly elderly residents having to go up to Poundbury. We thought it was best for everyone for it to remain on Maud Road. Everybody who wanted it to stay are very happy for obvious reasons. It's nice to see something you have done turn out as well as you had hoped."

As reported in the Echo hundreds of letters of objection meant Post Office Ltd decided against the proposal to move the branch on Maud Road to Poundbury Village Stores in Middlemarsh Street.

During the public consultation Post Office Ltd received more than 300 individual responses from customers and local representatives and a petition with 570 signatures and feedback from the independent watchdog Citizen Advice, mainly opposing the move.

The new proposed location was said to have significantly extended opening hours and improved access.

Suzanne Richardson, regional network manager, said: “After careful consideration of all relevant factors, including the responses we received as part of the consultation process and the concerns raised by Citizens Advice Bureau, Post Office Ltd has decided not to proceed with this proposed move.”

Post Office Ltd said the main comments focused on the distance to the proposed location, considered too far to walk from the current site as there is not a direct bus service, causing difficulties for customers, particularly the elderly and less mobile customers to access Post Office services.


Sahil Dalvi, owner of the Buttermarket Stores and Post Office in Poundbury had strongly opposed the move as he felt a second Post Office in such close proximity would threaten his business, which had only opened a few months prior.

But Hugh Quinn from Victoria Park Post Office said they were hoping for the move as the believed it would give the business a better future.

However Mr Quinn has assured his customers that the store will not be closing.

Post Office Ltd said any further relocation proposal would be subject to a new six-week public consultation.