We now have a petition online for you to sign. The petition will be presented to Cllr. Brian Greenslade, the leader of Devon Council. Please sign so that the council can see the extent of concern about the closures and the desire for them to take over the Post Offices.
The petition can be found here: http://petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4216
Thank you to to Cllr. David Cox for bringing this to our attention.
(f) Communities
(Councillor Turner declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of a member of her family being the owner of a rural post office].
Councillor Berman reported on the recent announcement by Post Office Network, the impact of that on Devon’s post office network and on the work being done by the Council in relation the future of post offices at risk under the Post Office Network Change Programme.
Councillor Berman then MOVED and Councillor Hart SECONDED:
(a) that the County Council deplores the scale of post office closures and outreach services announced on Tuesday 20 May for Devon;
(b) that an urgent meeting be sought with Post Office Ltd to discuss the opportunity for the County Council to help achieve the retention of sustainable post office services in affected communities;
(c) that the County Council engage with all Parish Councils/Post Masters/Mistresses and Communities affected by the POL announcement to inform the County Council on the local effects and opportunities for sustainable post office services being created;
(d) that the County Council confirms its willingness to invest in achieving sustainable post office services for the affected communities;
(e) that the County Council also work with MPs, other local government partners and any other organisations to try and retain sustainable post office services for the affected communities.
The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.
[In accordance with Standing Order 32(4) Councillors Barker, Boote, Clatworthy, Cook, Cox, Hannaford, Hart, Hobden, B Hughes, S Hughes, Leadbetter and Lee asked that their votes in favour of the Motion be also recorded]
Yesterday, ‘Save our Post Offices’ contacted every councillor on Devon County Council. We made the case that the council should save the Post Offices, and advised them to look at the example of Essex County Council, where threatened Post Offices had been saved.
At the time of writing (8.11pm on 22nd May), 11 councillors have responded. Overall, the response is good, with most promising to campaign against the closures. Council leader Brian Greenslade replied that “I can assure you that Devon County Council has been very engaged with this issue for some time and I think you may well find we are as developed or indeed more developed in our thinking than Essex County Council.”.
A couple of councillors raised the point that the mass closures had begun under the Tories. One noted ruefully that the New Labour government “seems to aspire to similar socially divisive instincts” as the Tory government did. Others made arguments about the impact the removal of certain services such as the payment of pensions on the Post Offices.
Only one councillor mentioned the ‘consultation’ process, though they had no illusions that it would stop the closures, saying that “the fear that I have is the threat that if you save one, the Post Office will close another”.
A councillor from Tiverton noted the “long queues and very sad people” in a local Post Office, caused by the closure of another Post Office. This is an important reminder that the closures don’t only affect the particular area where the Post Office is lost, but other areas too where the service may become overstretched.
There was a mixed and generally unenthusiastic response to our call for the ‘Essex solution’ whereby the council takes over the threatened Post Offices. Some claimed that the Essex scheme was not as good as it seemed, others (including Cllr. Greenslade) seem to be promising a refined and “developed” version. There are indeed problems with aspects of the Essex approach. However, we do not ask the County Council to follow the Essex approach to the letter, but merely in principle, the principle being that the council save the threatened Post Offices and then provide support to develop them.
Dear …..
I am writing to express my concern at the proposed closure of over 80 Post Offices across Devon. Post Offices play a vital social and economic role, and should be defended as an essential public service. The main victims of closures will be the poor, elderly and disabled.
It seems likely that the Post Office will ignore any submissions made as part of the formal consultation process. There needs to be plans put in place to save these Post Offices. It can be done even if the Post Office has made its mind up. Essex County Council, for instance, has saved its threatened Post Offices. Legally it is possible. It is also practical. It is affordable in the sense that we cannot allow these Post Offices to close.
I would urge you to look at the Essex plan and to press the County Council to go down a similar route to safeguard our public services.
Thank you,
………
MPs –
East Devon – Hugo Swire, 9C Mill Park Industrial Estate, White Cross Road, Woodbury Salterton, Exeter, EX5 1EL. 01395 233503
Exeter – Ben Bradshaw, Labour HQ, 26b Clifton Hill, Exeter, EX1 2DJ. 01392 424464
North Devon – Nick Harvey, Constituency Office, The Castle Centre, 25 Castle Street, Barnstaple, North Devon, EX31 1DR. 01271 328631
Plymouth Devonport – Alison Seabeck, House of Commons, London, SW1A OAA. 020 7219 643. jamessi@parliament.uk (Parliamentary caseworker).
Plymouth Sutton – Linda Gilroy, Brunswick House, 2 Harbour Avenue, Plymouth, PL4 0BJ. 01752 226626. GILROYB@parliament.uk
South West Devon – Gary Streeter, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. 01752 335666. mail@garystreeter.co.uk
Teignbridge – Richard Younger-Ross, 24-26 Queen Street, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2EF. 01626 202626. yrossr@parliament.uk
Tiverton and Honiton – Angela Browning, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. 01404 822103. browningaf@parliament.uk
Torbay – Adrian Sanders, 69 Belgrave Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5HZ. 01803 200036. Sandersa@parliament.uk
Torridge and West Devon – Geoffrey Cox. 01237 459001. tellgeoffrey@geoffreycox.co.uk
Totnes – Anthony Steen, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. 0207 219 5045.
County Councillors –
East Devon –
Axminster – Douglas Hull douglas.hull@devon.gov.uk
Broadclyst and Whimple – Derek Button derek.button@devon.gov.uk
Budleigh Salterton – Christine Channon christine.channon@devon.gov.uk
Exmouth Brixington & Withycombe – Brenda Taylor brenda.taylor@devon.gov.uk
Exmouth Halsdon & Woodbury – Bernard Hughes bernard.hughes@devon.gov.uk
Exmouth Littleham & Town – Eileen Wragg eileen.wragg@devon.gov.uk
Honiton St Michael’s – Barry Nicholson barry.nicholson@devon.gov.uk
Honiton St Paul’s – Roger Boote roger.boote@devon.gov.uk
Ottery St Mary Rural – Roger Giles roger.giles@devon.gov.uk
Seaton Coastal – Margaret Rogers margaret.rogers@devon.gov.uk
Sidmouth Sidford – Stuart Hughes stuart.hughes@devon.gov.uk
Exeter –
Alphington & Cowick – Vanessa Newcombe vanessa.newcombe@devon.gov.uk
Duryard & Pennsylvania – Sheila Hobden sheila.hobden@devon.gov.uk
Exwick & St Thomas – Rob Hannaford rob.hannaford@devon.gov.uk
Heavitree & Whipton Barton – Olwen Foggin olwen.foggin@devon.gov.uk
Newtown & Polsloe – Richard Westlake richard.westlake@devon.gov.uk
Pinhoe & Mincinglake – Saxon Spence saxon.spence@devon.gov.uk
Priory & St Leonard’s – Jill Owen jill.owen@devon.gov.uk
St David’s & St James – Philip Brock philip.brock@devon.gov.uk
St Loyes & Topsham – Andrew Leadbetter andrew.leadbetter@devon.gov.uk
Mid Devon –
Crediton Rural – Nicholas Way nick.way@devon.gov.uk
Cullompton Rural – John Berry john.berry@devon.gov.uk
Newton St Cyres & Sandford – Michael Lee michael.lee@devon.gov.uk
Tiverton East – Des Hannon des.hannon@devon.gov.uk
Tiverton West – Mary Turner mary.turner@devon.gov.uk
Willand & Uffculme – Ray Radford ray.radford@devon.gov.uk
North Devon –
Barnstaple North – Brian Greenslade brian.greenslade@devon.gov.uk
Barnstaple South – Christopher Haywood chris.haywood@devon.gov.uk
Braunton Rural – Jennifer Jenkins jenny.jenkins@devon.gov.uk
Chulmleigh & Swimbridge – Joe Tucker joe.tucker@devon.gov.uk
Combe Martin Rural – Andrea Davis andrea.davis@devon.gov.uk
Fremington Rural – Rodney Cann rodney.s.cann@devon.gov.uk
Ilfracombe – Geoff Fowler geoff.fowler@devon.gov.uk
South Molton Rural – Jeremy Yabsley jeremy.yabsley@devon.gov.uk
South Hams –
Bickleigh & Wembury – John Hart john.hart@devon.gov.uk
Dartmouth & Kingswear – Jonathan Hawkins jonathan.hawkins@devon.gov.uk
Ivybridge – Roger Croad roger.croad@devon.gov.uk
Kingsbridge & Stokenham – Julian Brazil julian.brazil@devon.gov.uk
South Brent & Dartington – Trevor Pennington trevor.pennington@devon.gov.uk
Thurlestone, Salcombe & Allington – Simon Day simon.day@devon.gov.uk
Totnes Rural – Geoff Date geoff.date@devon.gov.uk
Yealmpton – William Mumford william.mumford@devon.gov.uk
Teignbridge –
Ashburton & Buckfastleigh – Stuart Barker stuart@as-m.co.uk
Bovey Tracey Rural – Sally Morgan sally.a.morgan@devon.gov.uk
Chudleigh Rural – Francis Brook jerry.brook@devon.gov.uk
Dawlish – John Clatworthy john.clatworthy@devon.gov.uk
Exminster & Kenton – Brian Berman brian.berman@devon.gov.uk
Kingsteignton – John Smith john.n.smith@devon.gov.uk
Newton Abbot North – Anne Fry anne.fry@devon.gov.uk
Newton Abbot South – Gordon Hook gordon.hook@devon.gov.uk
Teign Estuary – David Cox david.n.cox@devon.gov.uk
Teignbridge South – Phil Cook phil.cook@devon.gov.uk
Teignmouth – Chris Bray chris.bray@devon.gov.uk
Torbay –
Berry Head with Furzeham – Vic Ellery vic.ellery@torbay.gov.uk
Berry Head with Furzeham – Martyn Hodge martyn.hodge@torbay.gov.uk
Berry Head with Furzeham – Mike Morey mike.morey@torbay.gov.uk
Blatchcombe – Jeanette Richards leonard.ford@devon.gov.uk
Blatchcombe – David Thomas David.Thomas@torbay.gov.uk
Blatchcombe – John Thomas John.Thomas@torbay.gov.uk
Churston with Galmpton – Derek Mills Derek.Mills@torbay.gov.uk
Churston with Galmpton – Anna Tolchard Anna.Tolchard@torbay.gov.uk
Clifton with Maidenway – Ian Doggett Ian.Doggett@torbay.gov.uk
Clifton with Maidenway – Ruth Pentney Ruth.Pentney@torbay.gov.uk
Cockington with Chelston – Roger Carter Roger.Carter@torbay.gov.uk
Cockington with Chelston – Michael Hytche Michael.Hytche@torbay.gov.uk
Cockington with Chelston – Gordon Oliver Gordon.Oliver@torbay.gov.uk
Ellacombe – Julien Parrott Julien.Parrott@torbay.gov.uk
Ellacombe – Cindy Stocks Cindy.Stocks@torbay.gov.uk
Goodrington with Roselands – Nicole Amil Nicole.Amil@torbay.gov.uk
Goodrington with Roselands – Christine Carter Christine.Carter@torbay.gov.uk
Preston – Dave Butt dave.butt@torbay.gov.uk
Preston – Chris Lewis Chris.Lewis@torbay.gov.uk
Preston – Christine Scouler Christine.Scouler@torbay.gov.uk
Roundham with Hyde – Kevin Carroll Kevin.Carroll@torbay.gov.uk
Roundham with Hyde – Matthew Phillips Matthew.Phillips@torbay.gov.uk
Shiphay with the Willows – Colin Charlwood Colin.Charlwood@torbay.gov.uk
Shiphay with the Willows – Roger Kerslake Roger.Kerslake@torbay.gov.uk
St Marychurch – Pete Addis Pete.Addis@torbay.gov.uk
St Marychurch – Louisa Aiton Louisa.Aiton@torbay.gov.uk
St Marychurch – Alan Faulkner Alan.Faulkner@torbay.gov.uk
St Marys with Summercombe – Stuart John Stuart.John@torbay.gov.uk
St Marys with Summercombe – Terry Manning Terry.Manning@torbay.gov.uk
Tormohun – Robert Excell Robert.Excell@torbay.gov.uk
Tormohun – Jenny Faulkner Jenny.Faulkner@torbay.gov.uk
Tormohun – Robert Horne Robert.Horne@torbay.gov.uk
Watcombe – Steve Darling Steve.Darling@torbay.gov.uk
Watcombe – Roger Stringer Roger.Stringer@torbay.gov.uk
Wellswood – Neil Bent Neil.Bent@torbay.gov.uk
Wellswood – Beryl McPhail Beryl.McPhail@torbay.gov.uk
Torridge –
Bideford East – Hugo Barton hugo.barton@devon.gov.uk
Bideford South & Hartland – Humphrey Temperley humphrey.temperley@devon.gov.uk
Holsworthy Rural – Des Shadrick des.shadrick@devon.gov.uk
Northam – Leonard Ford leonard.ford@devon.gov.uk
Torrington Rural – John Rawlinson john.rawlinson@devon.gov.uk
West Devon –
Hatherleigh & Chagford – James McInnes james.mcinnes@devon.gov.uk
Okehampton Rural – Christine Marsh christine.marsh@devon.gov.uk
Tavistock – Roy Connelly roy.connelly@devon.gov.uk
Yelverton Rural – Alan Hosking alan.hosking@devon.gov.uk
Save our Post Offices campaign blog 