Fury over plan to shut post office

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NEIGHBOURS have hit out against plans to shut down Barnes Park Post Office in Sunderland.

The proposals would see the post office in Ormonde Street moved to the nearby Spar shop in Ewesley Road.

The new service would offer longer opening hours, from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 10pm on Sundays.

While most services would remain the same, some would not be available, including change giving, international parcels, local collect and trans-cash bills.

Barnes councillor Tony Morrissey said: “It’s good that they have found something nearby and you can’t get much closer than the Spar, but I’ve had residents contact me concerned about issues of confidentiality at the till, saying they wouldn’t be able to do what they could at the other one.”

High Barnes resident Linda Gowans said she feels the proposal doesn’t take into account the volume of business at the post office or the time and privacy required for some transactions.

Ms Gowans, 63, said: “If staff who are efficient, knowledgeable and provide an excellent local service are to be made redundant, I fail to see how this can possibly be described as revitalisation.

“I think the public are tired of being treated as though they cannot see through such jargon.”

The new post office is proposed to be introduced as early as March.

Carol Graham, of Barnes, is a regular customer against the proposed changes.

The 39-year-old said: “I would rather just use the current post office. It’s been there for ever.

“It gets used a lot, so it might result big queues in the Spar. You would have people collecting their pensions and giros. I think it would be detrimental to both, really.”

The changes are part of the Post Office revitalisation programme to introduce new-style branches.

High Barnes resident Dr Edgar Beveridge, 72, is concerned that the new service will not offer the same facilities.

Dr Beveridge said: “I would not be very pleased if it shut down. I don’t think the Spar will offer all the services. I think that’s very unlikely. That’s the main concern.”

There is currently a consultation being carried out into the plans, ending on Thursday, March 8.

Coun Morrissey said: “I understand that Post Office need to make changes and be more efficient with post getting less and different means of communication.

“Hopefully, people will make their views felt. My big concern is the staff in the branch.”