Closure threat to Burniston village post office

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MAIL services from Burniston Post Office are under threat – and it could mean the end of the road for the post office itself as it will drastically reduce its income.
Customers could soon have to travel to Scarborough to pick up undelivered mail, a letter to the post office has revealed.

Staff say the loss of mail work would reduce the office's income by 25 per cent, which threatens its long-term survival.

Sue Harris, who has run the post office for three and a half years with her husband, sub-postmaster Steve, said: "We got a letter on Monday. The Royal Mail has made a request to Post Offices Limited asking that they no longer deliver mail from Burniston post office.

"They've offered to compensate us for 18 months, a total of £10,000 but we want to keep the service running. They've given us until January 22 to tell them what we think about the idea."

Three months' notice is required before the service is discontinued – meaning that it could stop as soon as April.

"We want to keep the service up and running, it's better for the shop and for the community," said Mrs Harris. "We're the only post office that takes in mail for miles around. There are part-time offices in Cloughton, Stainton- dale and Ravenscar but they don't do it. In fact there are only 2,000 offices in the UK that do.

"If the mail work goes people will to travel to Scarborough to collect mail. That will be hard on everyone but particularly the elderly and those without a car.

"A lot of people rely on the mail service – over Christmas we had tons of parcels."

Scarborough's prospective Labour parliamentary candidate Annajoy David has taken up the post office's cause and will be contacting Yorkshire and Hum- ber minister Rosie Winterton to plead its case.

Ms David said: "I'm absolutely flabbergasted that Royal Mail is contemplating stopping mail work from Burniston. They clearly know nothing about our area, if they did they would know the changes will mean a 20-mile round trip for some customers, who live in places like Ravenscar.

"Royal Mail is concerned solely for itself and hasn't considered the community the office serves. They need to understand that the post office is a vital part of our community."

A Royal Mail spokesman said the company was not anticipating any changes that would affect customer services in Burniston.