View Full Version : Post Office Closures
NickInTheNorth
17-May-07, 11:14
Hopefully less controversial. Any thoughts on the confirmation by the UK government confirming that another 2500 post offices will be closing beyond now and 2009?
Mister Squiggle
17-May-07, 11:26
Less controversial?? C'mon Nick, nothing makes me spit chips like more post offices closing! :)
Seriously though, I really like our post van man who comes to our village, but it still makes me shake my head when I see that little van pull up. It just seems so, I don't know, paltry. And then when it doesn't come and the senior cits have walked down in the rain to draw money or post off cards ... We don't even get the nice big green one anymore - it's a little red thing that looks like you couldn't swing a cat in it, let alone grapple with a lot of parcels.
Bear in mind, though, there was an idea bandied around that, if nursery closures went ahead, they'd install a mobile van for those too. Can you imagine the kind of clever thinking that went into that proposal? The day I have to teach 8 nursery children in the back of a Ford transit van is the day I officially retire due to disillusionment.
NickInTheNorth
17-May-07, 11:34
Maybe I should make it clear that I believe that the closure of post offices is absolutely stupid.
The justification for it can be laid firmly at the door of government in deciding to stop payment of pensions and benefits at post offices. To follow that up with the withdrawal of TV licensing from Post Offices does not help. And then as a final nail in the coffin the ending of the Royal Mail monopoly on postal deliveries was probably not sensible.
As always the decisions are made with a big city mentality, in which it will be a minor inconvenience for the people to hop on the local bus and travel for 10 minutes to the next nearest post office...
I'm a bit out of touch with what services the Post Office provide these days, but when I had occassion to go into on in London (March this year) it resembled more a WH Smiths than a Post Office. The Royal Mail delivery - is it totally independent of Post Office Counters? What happens if you go into a Post Office with a pakage - do they offer different delivery couriers? Or will it simply go with Royal Mail?
I think in concept the idea of the Post Office is a great one, whether it meets with current "lifestyles" is probably open for debate - for me I just think people just want to receive the stuff that was posted to them, and have confidence that the stuff they posts reaches its destination.........if that could be done with or without a Post Office I am sure we would all be happy.
I guess they won't be happy until we all have to take a 3 day boat ride or pony trek to get our pensions or post a parcel....
Maybe I should make it clear that I believe that the closure of post offices is absolutely stupid.
The justification for it can be laid firmly at the door of government in deciding to stop payment of pensions and benefits at post offices. To follow that up with the withdrawal of TV licensing from Post Offices does not help. And then as a final nail in the coffin the ending of the Royal Mail monopoly on postal deliveries was probably not sensible.
As always the decisions are made with a big city mentality, in which it will be a minor inconvenience for the people to hop on the local bus and travel for 10 minutes to the next nearest post office...
I totally agree with you that the closure of post offices is a very bad idea, and having lived in the country, I do have some idea of the hardship more closures will cause people in rural areas.
But do please spare a thought for those in cities who wouldn't just find it "a minor inconvenience to hop on the local bus and travel for 10 minutes..."
For elderly and disabled folk living in cities a post office/local shop they can access relatively easily is an absolute godsend. Not everybody can just hop on the bus, you know!
NickInTheNorth
17-May-07, 12:50
Hi Angela, you've got me painted as a bad 'un I think :)
The comment about the 10 minute bus journey was not to make light of the plight of anyone that would find that difficult. Rather to point out that much thinking(?) in government circles does not seem to consider that even that may not be possible in some areas.
For example where I currently live we have a Post Office, it opens 4 full days and two half days per week. There is another about 7 miles away that serves a tiny local population of about 40 people and opens for about 4 hours per week. Now on paper you could argue that the tiny one should be closed as it must surely be uneconomic, and the people that need it could take the bus to our Post Office and do their Post Office business there!
However to do that the poor individual that wished to do so, using public transport would have to leave home at 8.00am on either a Tuesday or Thursday, and return home at about 5.00pm.
Even our major Post Office however must be far from safe. It serves a population of 300!
There is however another Post Office available just 8 Miles away :) Oh did I mention that would be a ferry trip and a bus journey.
The only majot Post Office that is safe - at least as safe as can be in todays world is Fort William. Again that is would involve being away from home all day if using public transport. If you have the luxury of private transport then it involves a 90 minute journey each way including a short ferry trip. Or an additional 40 mile (60 minute) drive if you prefer to not use the ferry.
Do you think that the people making the decision actually think about those problems? Particularly given that the postal address here is Oban, which leads to all sorts of erroneous conclusions!
How are Post Offices funded??
Hi Angela, you've got me painted as a bad 'un I think :)
The comment about the 10 minute bus journey was not to make light of the plight of anyone that would find that difficult. Rather to point out that much thinking(?) in government circles does not seem to consider that even that may not be possible in some areas.
Do you think that the people making the decision actually think about those problems? Particularly given that the postal address here is Oban, which leads to all sorts of erroneous conclusions!
Not at all, Nick, just putting the viewpoint of us city folk! ;)
For quite a while I lived in a village which did have a PO, like yours open four full days, two half-days. Very well used.
If that were to close, it would mean a relatively short journey of three miles to the nearest town. Of course if you didn't have a car, you'd have to get the bus -not all that long a journey, but not that many buses and a very long wait to get one back. VERY long queues in the PO when you got there, because they dealt with more or less everything.
Where I live now, I have the luxury (it does feel like one!) of a PO/small shop within easy walking distance. If it closes, I don't actually know where the nearest one would be, because so many have aready closed.
The conflict seems to arise between the belief that a local PO is a social necessity and the need for it to make a profit.
Which brings us to scotsboy's point, and I must admit I don't know exactly how they are funded now.
NickInTheNorth
17-May-07, 14:31
I doubt that even the Post Office (or in reality Royal Mail) could give you an exact answer! There has been a long history of a mix of commercial activity and government subsidy and cross subsidy funding the network of small post offices.
I believe that a large part of the current rush to close as many loss making offices as possible is to allow the full privatisation of the entire organisation - though this is often denied.
I guess it depends on whether one takes the view that the Post Office is a commercial enterprise or a very much needed social service.
What I have not yet begun to understand is governments of whatever hue have not yet made it a criminal offence for non-wealthy individuals to live outwith major cities. Most policies over the past 30 years or so (at least) seem to me to have been penalising the poorer country dweller!
My nearest post office is at Buldoo. I've never been in it because I have no reason to. I do shopping in Thurso but I tie in a post office trip in with that. Even Buldoo is 4 miles away.
I think some post office closures will inconvenience some people but I also think society has changed. We have online services now (even downloadable stamps are available I read somewhere) and I'm afraid the offline stalwarts will have to fall into line.
I am not an expert on the economics of post offices but the postmaster that I did know found it real hard to keep going. He even started to do cash retailing, but where were customers going to spend it, in the village pub?:roll:
I suspect that closing 2500 post offices will cut the heart out of some communities but some communities are already heartless anyway.
I live in the city now, but lived in the country as a loon nearest Post Office was 4 miles away, so a visit to collect the Family Allowance was a 2.5 hour hike in total...could not afford a bicycle in them days....so not a lot of difference in the present day, if I lived on the same farm I would be using the same Post Office.
I have to admit I rarely go into a Post Office these days. I don't need to, all my money transactions are done on the internet, I can pay my TV License on line. I pay all my bills on line, I buy books of stamps at my nearest co-op no wonder the Post Office is losing £4 million a day, it has virtually become redundant
Well....I do need to go into the PO to actually post things!
I use the "shop" part as well -where else would I get my mint poppets???? [lol]
My PO also offers the nearest (to where I live) photocopying and fax service.
I haven't used a PO for cash transactions since the long ago days when I used to get my child benefit there on a Monday morning....first thing ...
Like you golach, I now pay for virtually everything by direct debit or online. (Not absolutely everyone uses a computer though.)
But even I need to go to the PO to post parcels, or to send anything recorded or special delivery. There are restrictions on what will actually go in an on-the-street postbox now as well, aren't there? :confused
The Government has slowly but steadily been withdrawing activities which the Post Office used to provide. TV Licence, various benefits, I'm not sure if you can still get your car tax there, and no doubt other things that people can think of.
Having systematically removed most of the business carried out by Post Offices they then say that many have to be closed because they are making a loss.
First smash it, then say you have to get rid of it because it's not working.
Sounds about right for them. They have always tried to run the Country in exactly the same way.
NickInTheNorth
17-May-07, 18:05
This years subsidy is approximately £200 million. Total cost of services withdrawn from the Post Office in the past 12 months is approximately £160 million - this year alone!!
I don't think it takes a rocket scientist...
You can still get your car tax (if you're one of the few who pay it) from your PO.
changilass
17-May-07, 18:57
Even car tax can be done over the phone or the internet nowadays, so they don't even have the monopoly on that one.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.