MP attacks Post Office as two branches close

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=795986" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


BENSON village and RAF base will be without a post office next week.

The base’s branch closed temporarily last month and the high street post office will cease trading on Wednesday upon the retirement of postmistress Cindy Olley due to ill health.

A Post Office spokeswoman said the RAF Benson branch closed for “operational reasons” following an audit. She added: “We are seeking a solution to the temporary closure and apologise to customers on the base for any inconvenience caused.”

The spokeswoman said the Post Office was looking for replacement premises in the village.

Last week, more than 50 people attended a public meeting at the parish hall to discuss the closure. It was agreed to set up a community action group consisting of residents and representatives from the Bensington Society and Benson Parish Council.


Councillor Dave Rushton, who was at the meeting, said: “People hadn’t heard about the closure.

“The Post Office has taken no steps to put up signs to tell people, so the first reaction was surprise and, of course, feelings of how are we going to cope?”

Mrs Olley, 68, had been trying unsuccessfully to sell the post office for about eight years. Her husband, David, 70, a parish councillor, had been helping her run the business. It is the fifth business in Benson to shut in three years.

Henley MP John Howell, who used to live in Benson, said: “The Post Office has, I understand, made it clear to the village group that it is not flexible enough to consider a community-based service which is likely to be the best option here and are not even keen to consider an ‘outreach’ service from the nearby village of Warborough.

“This dog-in-the-manger approach is completely unacceptable in a situation in which a village of some 5,000 people plus a large and expanding RAF base are left without a post office.”

He added that it was “unacceptable” that residents would have to travel to Wallingford for services because the Post Office closed the branch in Crowmarsh in 2008.

[DirtyHarry]

The "people's" post office, what a load of old bollox.

[subbie]

They forgot to mention the ZERO tolerance policy POL have towards any discrepancy found on audit, which means no matter what the problem was you get suspended, and then invariably sacked.

Because no one is keeping count of the number of PO's being closed following an audit, you may miss the picture forming of a silent closure program of Sub Post Offices. Crown Offices have their audit problems as well, but they are never shut down.

Subbie

[Lounge Lizard]

Mrs Olley, 68, had been trying unsuccessfully to sell the post office for about eight years. She should try asking a more realistic price for the business then.