Save Our Post Office - Update

A meeting of the ‘Milford on Sea Save Our Post Office’ Group was held at the Community Centre on 28.04.15.

The small group that have taken the baton from Michael Penney agreed that the sole objective of the group was to ensure that, going forward, there is a Post Office service in Milford on Sea. 

It was agreed that the main reasons for ensuring that there is a continuing Post Office (PO) facility in the Village are as follows:

• MoS demographic perhaps requires physical PO more than other places (rather than online)
• In addition to mail and other traditional Post Office services, both individuals and businesses can enjoy ATM and branch facilities of free banking for most banks – especially important now we have no Banks in Milford.
• If businesses cannot bank takings/withdraw cash easily, mail services are curtailed businesses will be compromised/closed and the Village suffers.
• Availability of a Foreign Exchange/Travel Money facility
• PO will provide all equipment, signage, alarms etc. and ‘hand hold ’ the new owner initially.
• There are PO trained-staff available in the Village and surrounding communities.
• PO can be attractive to businesses that need additional footfall in their premises.

The group shared the feedback they had received after visiting various prospective business places that could accommodate the PO if/when the current PO closes. In some cases this was very positive and they have been referred on to the regional PO authority representatives. 

One of the group had spoken to the regional PO representative who gave the assurance that they were well aware of the situation in MoS and were determined that there would be continued service in the Village. Two business places had been approached by the PO authority but they had declined so that a further attempt would be made to find suitable candidate businesses. 

A retail expert had been assigned this task by the PO authority and the vacancy would be advertised on the PO website. As a worst case scenario, should there be a lapse in full PO service, the PO authority would be prepared to provide a temporary visiting PO service to be housed for a day or more per week in a suitable community facility. 

The SOPO Group agreed to keep a watching and facilitating brief and it welcomes contact from individuals and business places in the Village with constructive ideas or suggestions.

For more information, or to join the Save Our Post Office Group, please contact:

Dick Coe

rwtcoe@gmail.com

01590 719405