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Post Offices
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Key Points from Meeting 30th Oct
Response by Post Office
Since news was first announced in late 2006 that a programme of Post Office closures in the UK was planned, ERP has acted on behalf of rural communities, businesses and other organisations to ensure a fair deal for Essex.
ERP recognises that the current network is financially unsustainable and that changes are needed to secure a long term future for Post Offices. ERP is, however, keen to influence the way in which the programme is implemented.
ERP responded to the initial DTI consultation on the Programme back in March 2007. ERP formed a special working group to focus on the issue which first met on 20 March 2007, and has since met in April, June and July.
ERP is now working to publicise the forthcoming public consultations, and to advise Parish Councils and other groups on the best way to respond.
Public consultation in most of Essex to gather views on the proposed closures in the area is now underway. Actual closures will take effect from early 2008.
A briefing is available to download, giving further information about the background of the decision to close 2,500 Post Offices nationally. The briefing also explains what is being done in Essex and how you can play a part in the process.
A poster is being distributed to all Parish Councils (and to many Village Hall Committees) in the county to raise awareness of the planned closures and the consultations. This poster is available to download from this page (you require extra copies, or you may have access to a notice board which is not managed by the Parish Council or Village Hall).
At this time we still await exact details of the area boundaries (all consultations will be based on ‘area plans’ drawn up by Post Office Limited. It is anticipated that the majority of the county will be involved in one of the first consultations to take place, beginning in early October.
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If you would like to speak to someone about the forthcoming consultations, please contact either:
Essex Rural Partnership
Telephone 0844 477 3938 (Suzanne or Kirsty)
e-mail info@essexruralpartnership.org.uk
Or
Post watch (the Postal Services Watchdog)
Telephone 01353 659 629 (Regional Postwatch Manager for East of England)
This web page will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Post Office Limited Network Change Programme
Area Plan Proposal South Essex, South Herts and Bucks area
Consultation runs from 17th June 2008 for 6 weeks until 28th July 2008
Post Offices currently undergoing consultation in South Essex Area Plan 17th June 2008 to 28th July 2008
| Dovervelt Road, Nearbuys, Canvey Island |
Castle Point |
| New Thundersley, Benfleet |
Castle Point |
| Sutton Road Southend-On-Sea |
Southend Borough Council |
| London Road, Westcliff- On-Sea |
Southend Borough Council |
| Hathaway Road, Grays |
Thurrock |
For further information, visit Post Office Ltd
January 2008 (information from: Area Plan Proposal for East Essex and Suffolk)
POST OFFICES NOW PROPOSED FOR CLOSURE
Currently under going consultation from 4th January 2008 to 15th February 2008.
Henham Sub Post Office
Little Bentley Sub Post Office
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POST OFFICES PROPOSED FOR CLOSURE
Post Office |
District |
Kings Parade135 Nevendon Road, Wickford SS12 0NL |
Basildon |
Sunnymede19 Greens Farm Lane, Billericay CM11 2EZ |
Basildon |
Bocking Church Street Bocking Church Street Braintree CM7 5JY |
Braintree |
Panfield Lane 194 Panfield Lane, Braintree CM7 5RJ |
Braintree |
White Notley 1 The Street White Notley Witham CM8 1RQ |
Braintree |
Hanging Hill Lane Hanging Hill Lane, Brentwood CM13 2HU |
Brentwood |
Bicknacre Main Road Bicknacre Chelmsford CM3 4HA |
Chelmsford |
Howe Street Howe Street Village Chelmsford CM3 1BA |
Chelmsford |
Eight Ash Green Halstead Road Eight Ash Green Colchester CO6 3QJ |
Colchester |
Parsons Heath 319 Harwich Road, Colchester CO4 3HR |
Colchester |
Pownall Crescent 32 Berechurch Road, Colchester CO2 7QB |
Colchester |
Station Road North Station Road, Colchester CO1 1RE |
Colchester |
Allnutts 33 Allnuts Road, Epping CM16 7BE |
Epping Forest |
Cherry Tree Rise 38 Station Way, Buckhurst Hill IG9 6LN |
Epping Forest |
Grange Hill 169 Manor Road Chigwell IG7 5QB |
Epping Forest |
Lindsey Street 39 Lindsey Street, Epping CM16 6RB |
Epping Forest |
Moreton Moreton Ongar CM5 0LQ |
Epping Forest |
Willingale Willingale Village Hall The Street Willingale CM5 0SJ |
Epping Forest |
Great Braxted Tiptree Road Great Braxted Witham CM8 3EF |
Maldon |
The Chase 86 The Chase, Rayleigh SS6 8RW |
Rochford |
Kirby Cross 44 Thorpe Road Frinton-On-Sea CO13 0LT |
Tendring |
Naze Park 116 Hall Lane, Walton-On-The-Naze CO14 8HW |
Tendring |
Parkeston 30 Garland Road, Harwich CO12 4PB |
Tendring |
West Clacton 16 Freeland Road Clacton-On-Sea CO15 1LN |
Tendring |
Wrabness 15 Station Road Wrabness Manningtree CO11 2TJ |
Tendring |
Little Hallingbury Village Hall Lower Road Little Hallingbury Bishops Stortford CM22 7RD |
Uttlesford |
Mole Hill Green Village Stores Mole Hill Green Takeley Bishops Stortford CM22 6PQ |
Uttlesford |
Quendon PO Stores Rickling Green Road Quendon Saffron Walden CB11 3YD |
Uttlesford |
Rowntree Way 81- 83 Rowntree Way, Saffron Walden CB11 4BY |
Uttlesford |
POST OFFICES PROPOSED FOR REPLACEMENT BY AN OUTREACH SOLUTION
Definition of ‘Outreach’ included in briefing
Post Office |
District |
Birch The Mini Market The Street Birch Colchester CO2 0NW |
Colchester |
East Mersea East Road East Mersea Colchester CO5 8TQ |
Colchester |
Langham Langham Community Shop School Road Langham Colchester CO4 5PA |
Colchester |
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- Your MP
- Your County and District/Borough Councillors
- Postwatch
- Essex Rural Partnership
Refer to the Branch Access Report made by Post Office Limited, regarding access to the nearest alternative Post Office to your community – is this a fair assessment?
Ask yourself the following questions: (do the answers support your cause to keep your Post Office/s open?)
- What are the opening hours of the nearest alternative Post Office/s?
- How frequently does the bus service operate?
- At what times of day does the bus service operate? How does this fit with local school hours?
- Does the bus stop close-by to the Post Office?
- Is there adequate parking near to the Post Office?
- If walking routes are included, is there a safe footpath? Would this accommodate pushchairs and wheelchairs? Are there uneven, narrow or steep sections of footpath?
- Do the suggested alternative Post Offices offer the same or greater range of services available at your local Office?
- Is the nearest alternative branch capable of serving the anticipated influx of new customers in addition to its existing customers? Does it have enough parking, counter positions, staff, etc?
- Is single car ownership a factor in your area? If a household has one car it may be used by the main income earner during Post Office opening hours, leaving other household members reliant on public transport / walking access.
- Are there other services near to or on the same premises as the closing branch which are not available near to the alternative branch? (e.g. ATM, general stores, butcher, bakery, dry cleaners, Parish Council office?)
- Please ensure that your letter reaches Post Office Limited by 19 November (especially bearing in mind that there may be further postal strikes within the consultation period) .
- Encourage others to submit letters, stating the reasons for opposing the closure.
- Ask you Post-master/mistress if they have identified any reasons which may help to support the argument to retain the branch.
- Look at the Post Office Limited website for more information: www.postoffice.co.uk and follow the links to ‘Network Change’
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS TO POST OFFICE SERVICES
- Do you feel that your community could accommodate an Outreach Solution? You could suggest this to Post Office Limited. There are 500 Outreach Solutions proposed for the UK – at the moment only 3 of these are planned for Essex. Information on Outreach Solutions was included in the briefing distributed by Essex Rural Partnership in August – this briefing can be downloaded from our website at www.essexruralpartnership.org.uk
If the answer is ‘YES’ – write to Post Office Limited at the address shown above and suggest this as a course of action.
- Would you like to explore options of setting up a Community Transport Scheme?
- Is there somewhere in your community that could provide internet facilities to enable access to on-line services?
If the answer is ‘YES’ – contact Rural Community Council of Essex and find out more about what can be done, and the help that is available.
Rural Community Council of Essex can be reached on 0844 477 3938 or by e-mailing info@essexrcc.org.uk
The role of Essex Rural Partnership (ERP) in relation to Post Office Closures
ERP has no statutory role in the Post Office Closure Programme.
ERP is acting in a voluntary role, with the aim of ensuring that affected communities are aware of the proposals, and have opportunity to respond to the consultation.
ERP has undertaken to raise awareness of the consultation – our awareness campaign is in addition to, and separate from, the statutory role that is required of Post Office Limited to advertise proposed closures and the associated consultations.
ERP is issuing this guidance to assist communities in responding to the consultation. The list of suggested factors to consider is not exhaustive and we are not suggesting that it is such; nor can we offer any guarantee that the inclusion of such information will have a positive impact on the final decision taken by post Office Limited.
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