St Andrews Main post office closes next year

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scot ... 127206.stm

St Andrews will lose its main Post Office from next June after a deal was reached with newsagent WH Smith.

There had been a long-running campaign to retain the facility, on South Street, after a consultation began on plans to move services into the store.

A petition was signed by 15,000 residents and the local MSP Iain Smith met officials to voice his concerns.

However, the Post Office has now confirmed that following the statutory consultation, the move will go ahead.

The Post Office has insisted that the decision will not result in a reduction in services.

Spokesman Andy Bayfield said: "WH Smith has shown throughout the consultation period that it is wholly committed to providing the excellent face-to-face service that Post Office customers expect and deserve.

"At a time when Post Office Ltd is losing £4m a week, partnerships such as these enable us to go on offering Post Office services in the heart of the town.

"Without them, we simply cannot safeguard high street branches or the services they provide."

Some local people believe many issues have not been addressed by the consultation, including concerns about overcrowding at busy times.

Cllr Robin Waterston, form the Liberal Democrats, told the BBC Scotland news website: "I am very disappointed by this news.

"It's the worst possible Christmas present for the people of St Andrews, students and visitors who will all suffer the consequences of this decision."

[greynut]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scot ... 127206.stm

St Andrews will lose its main Post Office from next June after a deal was reached with newsagent WH Smith.

There had been a long-running campaign to retain the facility, on South Street, after a consultation began on plans to move services into the store.

A petition was signed by 15,000 residents and the local MSP Iain Smith met officials to voice his concerns.

However, the Post Office has now confirmed that following the statutory consultation, the move will go ahead.

The Post Office has insisted that the decision will not result in a reduction in services.

Spokesman Andy Bayfield said: "WH Smith has shown throughout the consultation period that it is wholly committed to providing the excellent face-to-face service that Post Office customers expect and deserve.

"At a time when Post Office Ltd is losing £4m a week, partnerships such as these enable us to go on offering Post Office services in the heart of the town.

"Without them, we simply cannot safeguard high street branches or the services they provide."

Some local people believe many issues have not been addressed by the consultation, including concerns about overcrowding at busy times.

Cllr Robin Waterston, form the Liberal Democrats, told the BBC Scotland news website: "I am very disappointed by this news.

"It's the worst possible Christmas present for the people of St Andrews, students and visitors who will all suffer the consequences of this decision."

Maybe I am stupid, but how does moving the post office to WH Smith save 4 million pound a week?

OK, so they sell the property but what happens when this short term fix runs out?

[squeaky]

Simple init? they don't pay staff or provide premises or anything!!
So it must save money
course look at the Aldershot WHS were once the new staff realised what
they had to do for £5.65 they left - so WHS wrote to the old PO staff
offering their original pay (cos they were buggered having no staff)
but for some reason they didn't go back - strange that!

[Stormproof]

Last Updated: Thursday, 6 December 2007, 11:25 GMT

Post office approves 56 closures
Rural post office
Kent will lose 56 post office branches under the plans
Fifty-six post office branches are to close across Kent with the first ones winding up in the New Year.

The announcement by Post Office Ltd follows public consultation under which 58 branches were earmarked for closure.

Two branches, in Ramsgate and Hawkhurst, won a reprieve because of issues including transport and access.

But two more branches were added to the list for closure, with consultation starting on Tuesday. They are Lane End in Dartford and Goodnestone.

A statement from the Post Office said the two were added to meet set criteria, and ensure the network could be supported by available government funding.

It added that improvements would be made to 18 branches in the county, to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and to provide additional counters, as a result of the six-week consultation.

Consultation 'too short'

But Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said the consultation was "a farce".

He said the process was "too short, it was further reduced by postal strikes and they then gave themselves just three weeks to review and evaluate the information".

Kent was one of the first areas of the country to see a six-week consultation get under way in October, alongside East Yorks and the East Midlands.

The government has said cuts were needed because the network loses £4m weekly.

Four million fewer people were using post offices each week than two years ago and losses had risen from £2 million a week in 2005 to £4 million a week last year, it added.

The 56 branches now facing closure are:

# Approach Road, 63 Approach Road, Margate
# Bellevue Road, 13 Bellevue Road, Ramsgate
# Benenden Chest Hospital, Cranbrook
# Bidborough, 14 Bidborough Ridge, Tunbridge Wells
# Bingham Road, 185 Frindsbury Road, Rochester
# Brompton, 25 High Street, Brompton, Gillingham
# Byron Road, 34 Byron Road, Gillingham
# Canterbury Road, 14-16 Canterbury Road, Whitstable
# Capel Le Ferne, Capel Le Ferne Village Hall
# Chalkwell, 69 London Road, Sittingbourne
# Dane Road, 55 Upper Dane Road, Margate
# Denton, 4 East Milton Road, Gravesend
# Duke Of York's School, Guston, Dover
# East Street, 85-89 East Street, Sittingbourne
# Enbrook Valley, 99 Enbrook Valley, Eynsford, Folkestone
# Eynsford, The Old Forge Tea Rooms, Riverside, Dartford
# Farningham, 3 High Street, Farningham, Dartford
# Gills Green, Station Garage, Hawkhurst
# Grange Road, 34 Grange Road, Ramsgate
# Great Mongeham, Mongeham Farm, Deal
# Hardy Street, 84-86 Hardy Street, Maidstone
# Hectorage Road, 82 Goldsmid Road, Tonbridge
# High Street, 3 High Street, Herne Bay
# High Street, 13 High Street, Sevenoaks
# Hythe Road, 79 Hythe Road, Ashford
# Langton Green, Langton Road, Tunbridge Wells
# Littlestone, 4 Warren Road, New Romney
# Longfield Hill, Main Road, Longfield Hill, Dartford
# Mead Road, 11 Mead Road, Dartford
# Minnis Road, 137 Minnis Road, Birchington
# New Bridge, 15 Bench Street, Dover
# Northgate, 65 Northgate, Canterbury
# Oaten Hill, 3-4 Oaten Hill, Canterbury
# Rodmersham Green, 1 St Patricks Row, Sittingbourne
# Saltwood, The Fountain Stores, Saltwood, Hythe
# Seabrook Road, 246 Seabrook Road, Hythe
# Seal, 23-25 High Street, Seal, Sevenoaks
# Shipbourne Road, 55 Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge
# Shorncliffe, 2 Royal Military Avenue, Folkestone
# Sole Street, The Little Shoppe, Sole Street, Gravesend
# South Ashford, 108 Beaver Road, Ashford
# South End, 115 High Street, Edenbridge
# South Park, 192 Loose Road, Maidstone
# South Willesborough, 62 Gladstone Road, Ashford
# St Botolphs, 2 Station Parade, Sevenoaks
# St Dunstans, 21-23 Whitstable Road, Canterbury
# St Johns Road, 57 St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells
# Station Road, 129 Station Road, Gillingham
# Station Road, Station Road, Tonbridge
# Temple Hill, 11 Temple Hill Square, Dartford
# Tower Hamlets, 14 West Street, Dover
# Upper Deal, 311 London Road, Deal
# Westbrook, 101 Canterbury Road, Margate
# Wilmington, 221 High Road, Dartford
# Woodnesborough, The Street, Woodnesborough
# Wrotham Road, 46 Wrotham Road, Gravesend

[greynut]

Last Updated: Thursday, 6 December 2007, 11:25 GMT

Post office approves 56 closures
Rural post office
Kent will lose 56 post office branches under the plans
Fifty-six post office branches are to close across Kent with the first ones winding up in the New Year.

The announcement by Post Office Ltd follows public consultation under which 58 branches were earmarked for closure.

Two branches, in Ramsgate and Hawkhurst, won a reprieve because of issues including transport and access.

But two more branches were added to the list for closure, with consultation starting on Tuesday. They are Lane End in Dartford and Goodnestone.

A statement from the Post Office said the two were added to meet set criteria, and ensure the network could be supported by available government funding.

It added that improvements would be made to 18 branches in the county, to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and to provide additional counters, as a result of the six-week consultation.

Consultation 'too short'

But Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said the consultation was "a farce".

He said the process was "too short, it was further reduced by postal strikes and they then gave themselves just three weeks to review and evaluate the information".

Kent was one of the first areas of the country to see a six-week consultation get under way in October, alongside East Yorks and the East Midlands.

The government has said cuts were needed because the network loses £4m weekly.

Four million fewer people were using post offices each week than two years ago and losses had risen from £2 million a week in 2005 to £4 million a week last year, it added.

The 56 branches now facing closure are:

# Approach Road, 63 Approach Road, Margate
# Bellevue Road, 13 Bellevue Road, Ramsgate
# Benenden Chest Hospital, Cranbrook
# Bidborough, 14 Bidborough Ridge, Tunbridge Wells
# Bingham Road, 185 Frindsbury Road, Rochester
# Brompton, 25 High Street, Brompton, Gillingham
# Byron Road, 34 Byron Road, Gillingham
# Canterbury Road, 14-16 Canterbury Road, Whitstable
# Capel Le Ferne, Capel Le Ferne Village Hall
# Chalkwell, 69 London Road, Sittingbourne
# Dane Road, 55 Upper Dane Road, Margate
# Denton, 4 East Milton Road, Gravesend
# Duke Of York's School, Guston, Dover
# East Street, 85-89 East Street, Sittingbourne
# Enbrook Valley, 99 Enbrook Valley, Eynsford, Folkestone
# Eynsford, The Old Forge Tea Rooms, Riverside, Dartford
# Farningham, 3 High Street, Farningham, Dartford
# Gills Green, Station Garage, Hawkhurst
# Grange Road, 34 Grange Road, Ramsgate
# Great Mongeham, Mongeham Farm, Deal
# Hardy Street, 84-86 Hardy Street, Maidstone
# Hectorage Road, 82 Goldsmid Road, Tonbridge
# High Street, 3 High Street, Herne Bay
# High Street, 13 High Street, Sevenoaks
# Hythe Road, 79 Hythe Road, Ashford
# Langton Green, Langton Road, Tunbridge Wells
# Littlestone, 4 Warren Road, New Romney
# Longfield Hill, Main Road, Longfield Hill, Dartford
# Mead Road, 11 Mead Road, Dartford
# Minnis Road, 137 Minnis Road, Birchington
# New Bridge, 15 Bench Street, Dover
# Northgate, 65 Northgate, Canterbury
# Oaten Hill, 3-4 Oaten Hill, Canterbury
# Rodmersham Green, 1 St Patricks Row, Sittingbourne
# Saltwood, The Fountain Stores, Saltwood, Hythe
# Seabrook Road, 246 Seabrook Road, Hythe
# Seal, 23-25 High Street, Seal, Sevenoaks
# Shipbourne Road, 55 Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge
# Shorncliffe, 2 Royal Military Avenue, Folkestone
# Sole Street, The Little Shoppe, Sole Street, Gravesend
# South Ashford, 108 Beaver Road, Ashford
# South End, 115 High Street, Edenbridge
# South Park, 192 Loose Road, Maidstone
# South Willesborough, 62 Gladstone Road, Ashford
# St Botolphs, 2 Station Parade, Sevenoaks
# St Dunstans, 21-23 Whitstable Road, Canterbury
# St Johns Road, 57 St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells
# Station Road, 129 Station Road, Gillingham
# Station Road, Station Road, Tonbridge
# Temple Hill, 11 Temple Hill Square, Dartford
# Tower Hamlets, 14 West Street, Dover
# Upper Deal, 311 London Road, Deal
# Westbrook, 101 Canterbury Road, Margate
# Wilmington, 221 High Road, Dartford
# Woodnesborough, The Street, Woodnesborough
# Wrotham Road, 46 Wrotham Road, Gravesend

Maybe Joan Collins and Take That would like to give back the millions they earnt from the adverts and just f**k OFF!

This is capitalism gone mad. Shut everything in sight, try to sack 40 thousand posties and take home a 1/4 of a million bonus.

Sorry but the YES voters didn t see past their f***ing £350.00 xmas present. Ooooh sorry and the free stamps.

[norbet colon]

The latest £10 million campaign was courtesy of ad agency Mother .

RM or Mother rented out a empty corner shop in Richmond Hill, it "suddenly" came to life with Post Office Logo signage.

The locals were cockhoop as the Old Post Office , three shops down , closed in 2003 despite protest and pensioners had to traipse down down the hill to Richmond town and up to the first floor of WH Smug as the main post office has also been closed .

Alas their joy was premature . The corner shop was actually a mock -up Post Office for the new ads . No sooner had Old Joanie & that ex boy band had done their turns than this so-called " The People's Post Office " extolling the virtues of apparent localised personal service was rapidly dismantled .

Just like the real "People's PO " three doors down .

[DirtyHarry]

The latest £10 million campaign was courtesy of ad agency Mother .

RM or Mother rented out a empty corner shop in Richmond Hill, it "suddenly" came to life with Post Office Logo signage.

The locals were cockhoop as the Old Post Office , three shops down , closed in 2003 despite protest and pensioners had to traipse down down the hill to Richmond town and up to the first floor of WH Smug as the main post office has also been closed .

Alas their joy was premature . The corner shop was actually a mock -up Post Office for the new ads . No sooner had Old Joanie & that ex boy band had done their turns than this so-called " The People's Post Office " extolling the virtues of apparent localised personal service was rapidly dismantled .

Just like the real "People's PO " three doors down .

Bugger me, even after 7 years working for these turnips, good people like yourself, norbert, bring to my attention information which leads me to believe that the cretins in charge of Britain's postal service are bigger arseholes than I'd thought they were just a few minutes previously.