Falmouth post office row rumbles on

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The fight to reverse a “devil-may-care” decision to move Falmouth post office to a site on Market Strand will continue says the town’s MP.

Sarah Newton the news that planned move had been upheld by Post Office Ltd was “disappointing”, that the views and wishes of the general public have been “neglected” and that it had been made despite “growing opposition”.

The reasoning behind the move, according to Colin Pound, Post Office Ltd’s field change advisor, was that as a temporary agent has been running the current branch and the lease is short term.

He said: “This means that the service could close at short notice at any time leaving our customers in Falmouth without access to post office services. This is a situation we simply cannot allow to happen.”

However the idea was been greeted with fury by protestors who said the move would be “playing Russian roulette with lives” and that it would be a “recipe for disaster”.

They have vowed to fight the proposals, as they successfully in 2004 and 2008.

Mrs Newton said she has received a letter from Post Office Ltd which “acknowledged that the site on Market Strand had problems with traffic and narrow pavements which would prove difficult for elderly, disabled and other vulnerable customers". She said it added that while the Post Office accepted responsibility for safe access into and within its premises, it did not accept any responsibility for the areas surrounding its branches.

“It is clear to me from the Post Office’s response that it is shirking its responsibility to its most loyal customers who would find it difficult to access its branch in Falmouth. While it believes it has a duty of care once customers have passed through its doors, it does not care what happens to its customers on their way to and from its branch,” said Mrs Newton “I am very disappointed by the disregard that the Post Office appears to be displaying towards its users. I have joined forces with Consumer Focus, the organisation that represents consumers, and will be escalating this formal complaint against the Post Office. I sincerely hope that they will reflect upon their ‘devil-may-care’ attitude and rethink their plans.”

Mrs Newton said she would be writing to the Post Office to make an official complaint against the handling of this decision and that she would not, “allow this matter to rest”.