On the 7th September Martin's newsagents in the Blackbird Leys district centre closed and the post office counter within the shop closed with it. The post office counter provided a range of valued services for local people and contributed to the vibrancy and economic vitality of the shopping parade.

Post Office Ltd have been sending mixed messages about their plans to provide local residents with a replacement post office counter. They have advertised the opportunity for a local business to take on the concession on their website. They have also written to local stakeholders saying they want to restore a counter at this location and asking potential applicants to register their interest. However, in other correspondence Post Office Ltd point out that the UK high street remains a challenging environment and that they cannot always commit to reopening branches when they close. Furthermore, a well regarded local business submitted an application to run a replacement counter but has been told that their application will not be progressed at this time.

We call on Post Office Ltd to commit to reopening a post office counter at the 'Top Shops' in Blackbird Leys.