Royal Mail must take on board views of customers

[johnnyp]

http://www.berwickshire-news.co.uk/news ... 4477287.jp
Royal Mail must take on board views of customers

Importance of rural post offices stressed


10 September 2008
By Simon Duke
BORDERS MP Michael Moore and Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale MSP Jeremy Purvis have taken their concerns about the proposals for post office closures and their replacement with 'outreach' services directly to Royal Mail.
In Berwickshire, post offices in Hutton, Eccles and Greenlaw have all been earmarked for closure although the situation could potentially change following the news last week that the sub-postmistress at Gordon Post Office, a facility that escaped theADVERTISEMENTaxe, had handed in her resignation.
The parliamentarians met with the Head of External Relations for Royal Mail Group to emphasise the importance of rural post offices to local communities. They highlighted the social aspects of the post office, particularly for older people, and voiced concerns about the proposed replacement services, many of which take the form of a mobile van. They also emphasised the need for Royal Mail to take on board the views that have been expressed by many local people about the proposals for their local post office and to engage in a 'real' consultation.
In a separate move, last week Michael Moore was joined by the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Tavish Scott MSP, and south of Scotland MSP Jim Hume to show their support for the post office at Greenlaw. They met with the subpostmistress at the post office and heard directly from customers about the importance of the service to the community.
Mr Moore is conducting a parliamentary survey of all the places affected before he submits his response to the consultation. Just a few days after sending out the surveys, more than 40 per cent of households had responded, with hundreds of local people explaining why the post office is important to them.
Mr Moore has described the reaction to his survey as fantastic and is encouraging everyone who has not yet done so to return their survey and have their say about this important issue.