Give us a Post Office!
The Issue
Portishead - a North Somerset town approaching 30,000 residents but without a single Post Office facility.
Twenty years ago - and a lot smaller - without the development that has happened, Portishead had the luxury of a Crown Post Office and three Sub Post Offices to serve it well. Now it has none, despite the rapid expansion of the town's residential and commercial base.
The Post Office Limited manifesto to provide a wide range of services including postal, stamps, banking, savings, money exchange and more is not being provided at any level and there is no sign of imminent change.
Post Office Limited is owned by the UK Government.
The Post Office is used by a wide range of customers of all ages using the services - and more - as previously mentioned. It is particularly important for the senior citizen community and for international postal and money services, where quite often this may be a communication lifeline.
The Post Office programme for franchised outlets has been seen to be flawed and not fit for purpose in that
- The Post Office detaches itself for any responsibility for branch operation
- There is no 'back up' plan if the franchisee business closes down
- There is no concerted effort or urgency to replace a closed branch
- Post Office will not invest in future branches
Due to financial, economic or natural reasons, there are premises within the town High Street location that are eminently suitable for local Post Office business to serve the whole community, but Post Office Limited refuse to invest preferring to pursue the franchise system which just will not happen.
Promised assistance from elected Town Councillors and our Member of Parliament are not having any effect.
Having been without any Post Office facilities for some five months now - and having suffered many months of reduced facilities previously - the time has come to act. It is not right that we have to travel miles for service and there are many elderly, disabled and those without transport that are not able to do so.
We call on the UK Government to
- demand that Post Office Limited take immediate and decisive action to restore Crown Post Office facilities to Portishead at the earliest opportunity
- instruct Post Office Limited to facilitate other Sub Post Office bases within the expanded Portishead district
- ensure that such withdrawn facilities are not able to happen again
3,184
The Issue
Portishead - a North Somerset town approaching 30,000 residents but without a single Post Office facility.
Twenty years ago - and a lot smaller - without the development that has happened, Portishead had the luxury of a Crown Post Office and three Sub Post Offices to serve it well. Now it has none, despite the rapid expansion of the town's residential and commercial base.
The Post Office Limited manifesto to provide a wide range of services including postal, stamps, banking, savings, money exchange and more is not being provided at any level and there is no sign of imminent change.
Post Office Limited is owned by the UK Government.
The Post Office is used by a wide range of customers of all ages using the services - and more - as previously mentioned. It is particularly important for the senior citizen community and for international postal and money services, where quite often this may be a communication lifeline.
The Post Office programme for franchised outlets has been seen to be flawed and not fit for purpose in that
- The Post Office detaches itself for any responsibility for branch operation
- There is no 'back up' plan if the franchisee business closes down
- There is no concerted effort or urgency to replace a closed branch
- Post Office will not invest in future branches
Due to financial, economic or natural reasons, there are premises within the town High Street location that are eminently suitable for local Post Office business to serve the whole community, but Post Office Limited refuse to invest preferring to pursue the franchise system which just will not happen.
Promised assistance from elected Town Councillors and our Member of Parliament are not having any effect.
Having been without any Post Office facilities for some five months now - and having suffered many months of reduced facilities previously - the time has come to act. It is not right that we have to travel miles for service and there are many elderly, disabled and those without transport that are not able to do so.
We call on the UK Government to
- demand that Post Office Limited take immediate and decisive action to restore Crown Post Office facilities to Portishead at the earliest opportunity
- instruct Post Office Limited to facilitate other Sub Post Office bases within the expanded Portishead district
- ensure that such withdrawn facilities are not able to happen again
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Petition created on 1 May 2023