Les is leaving Post Office in South Chard

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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SUB-POSTMASTER Les Gilbert has decided to leave the Post Office network in South Chard.

The move comes just three months after it was announced that Mr Gilbert, director of Post2 Limited, will also eventually remove post office services from the facilities in Fore Street, Chard. He has also relinquished the Lyme Regis branch.

“With Post Office income in decline and costs increasing we have made the difficult decision to leave the Post Office network in South Chard, as well as in Chard and Lyme Regis,” he said.


“This means that Post Office Ltd will seek to relocate the Post Office to alternative premises in South Chard over the coming months, if at all possible.”

Mr Gilbert added: “We have worked very hard to grow our business – our Post Office branch opens seven days a week to 8pm and is popular among customers.”

The Post Office wants to turn its branches into convenience-style stores, known as Post Office Local, which will provide fewer Post Office services – something Mr Gilbert not keen on.

“We’d have to take a drop in income and this is just not a practical or viable business proposition,” he said.

“Our shop will continue to operate as normal and in time we hope to be able to offer many of the services currently available through the Post Office. We will, of course, keep customers and colleagues updated in all of our branches.”

Mr Gilbert added: “There is real concern among many sub-postmasters about the future, not only of their own branch, but the network as a whole.

“We have raised these concerns with local MPs David Laws and Oliver Letwin.”

The Post Office will look at possible alternative sites in the village to continue its services and is hoping to hear from people interested in running them.

Mr Gilbert said he wanted to thank customers for their support and said he would retain the Post Office until a new operator is found.

But he warned: “Problems may come if no other operator can be found. This applies to Chard and Lyme Regis, where to date there has been no interest at all from anybody. We continue to operate them for the time being but not indefinitely.

[subbie]

Well he's going the right way to attract local businesses to take over the PO service, so he can leave with a wedge of tax payers funding by way of a pay off. Telling the world how crap the pay is is really going to bring the volunteers forward

Subbie