Uncertain future for Buntingford Post Office

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Another "nail in the coffin" may be hammered into Buntingford's public services, with its post office now facing an uncertain future.

Schools and surgeries are already struggling for places, even before the impending population swell for the town, which has also been stripped of almost all public transport.

Now, postmaster Surjit Singh Basra is mulling over whether to carry on trading following Royal Mail's decision to shut his sorting office in December.

Mr Basra also has major security concerns over Post Office plans to make his shop, based at Nisa in Baldock Road, an open-till facility.

The changes have left him unsure whether continuing trading is a viable business option, blasting the decision-makers as "dictators".

"It's a very uncertain future for the post office as well, I do not know what's going to happen," he said.

"I've had two heart attacks and still I have kept going for them.

"There's no democracy in this country. In 1991 they forced to me to keep it open and now, in 2015, they are taking it away from me. These people are dictators.

"I think it's going to be a right mess. At the moment the system is working and when the system is working you don't upset.

"It's a huge security concern. We are a financial institute, people deposit large amounts of money here. At the moment, this place is a fortress."

Mr Basra, who is also a former mayor and current town councillor, has run the service for 24 years and employs 22 people, all of whom live in the town.

He vowed to keep fighting the proposals to the bitter end, but has stated if he cannot stop the changes, he will take his business elsewhere instead of retiring.

If he does keep his store open, customers will still be able to collect parcels after the sorting offices shuts.

The change to open tills is part of the Post Office's Network Transformation scheme, which has modernised stores across the UK.

All alterations are being justified by the company with a 16 per cent increase in profits and a 98 per cent customer satisfaction rate in the new shops.

A Post Office spokesman said: "Although open-plan counters are a different way of providing a service, security or privacy is not compromised.

"As with any other branch, we have robust security procedures in place and anyone handling Post Office transactions, including new staff, will be fully trained on all operational and service issues.

"This includes customer privacy – asking customers to stand back from the counter whilst they are waiting for service."

The town's deputy mayor, Graham Waite, is worried for the town's elderly population who rely on the post office for their pensions.

"Obviously, not having a post office in the town is a major concern for us," he said.

"If it's no longer at Mr Basra's, it would be another small nail in the coffin."

A Royal Mail statement said: "There will be no disruption of service to our customers as a result of these changes."