MP's shock at post office closure

[johnnyp]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berk ... 609965.stm
MP's shock at post office closure

Mr Redwood MP said the closure was "unacceptable"
A post office which was not on the Royal Mail's list of planned closures in Berkshire has shut.

Conservative MP John Redwood has called on the government to intervene and save the Arborfield branch in Wokingham.

Royal Mail apologised for the closure but blamed the resignation, at short notice, of the postmaster.

A spokeswoman said Royal Mail was looking for someone else with suitable premises to run a post office service in Arborfield.

Wokingham council said it was trying to arrange a bus service to transport customers to the nearest branch.

Mr Redwood MP has written to government saying: "The closure would cause considerable difficulties for many local residents.

'Crying shame'

"I understand that, as Arborfield does not appear on any list of post offices which are due to close, Royal Mail is obliged to do what it can to help maintain the same level of postal facilities in the immediate area.

"Having already been told that we are to lose two branches, it would be unacceptable for a third one to go."

Councillor Gary Cowan, from Wokingham Borough Council, said: "The out-of-the-blue closure has come as a huge shock to local residents.

"Although I recognise there are commercial sensitivities in the sale of the shop, it is a crying shame that a longer period of notice could not have been announced."

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately we were given very short notice of the postmaster's intention to resign.

"We have not been contacted by the new owners and have not been able to continue the service as it was.

"We are working hard to restore service in Arborfield as quickly as possible and would like to hear from anyone in the village, with suitable premises, who maybe interested in running the service."

[Big Daz]

Exactly what can the government do if a postmaster resigns at very short notice?

[DGP1]

Why would anyone take on a PO franchise whenever RM could close it after a couple of months/years during their next round of cuts.

[Lounge Lizard]

It's reassuring to learn that John Redwood knows what a Post Office is even if he's never had cause to use one.

[andy2007]

Exactly what can the government do if a postmaster resigns at very short notice?

They could have insisted that RM offered it to one of the Postmasters from a Post Office that has already closed.