Right to be concerned for future of post offices

THE people of Godmanchester are absolutely right to express concerns over the loss of post office services in their community – Post office change at Godmanchester ‘thin end of the wedge’ (Hunts Post, December 7).

Can I draw your readers’ attention to a survey – Devon Knows – published just last week by statutory watchdog Consumer Focus, which highlighted the impact that withdrawal of such services can have on rural communities in particular, where post offices are an extremely important local hub?

Consumer Focus has also surveyed the Post Office Locals initiative in a study – Local but limited - that looked in detail at the programme and the loss of services it entails.

What’s important to remember is that Godmanchester is not a tiny village, but a community of some 7,000 inhabitants, perhaps soon set to grow by nearly another 1,000, and an arbitrary 50 per cent reduction in post office services is indeed the “thin end of the wedge” as your headline so neatly states.

The Communication Workers Union, which represents thousands of postmasters and other post office employees, is urging the Government to put these plans on hold and asking the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee to undertake a scrutiny of the public money being used to facilitate this downgrading of a public service.

The people of Godmanchester, and in every community in the UK, deserve no less.

ANDY FUREY

National Officer

Communication Workers Union

The Broadway

Wimbledon