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Newsagent’s exit threatens post office
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| Councillor Brian Gurden leads a protest to save the post office in Brighton Hill, Basingstoke |
ANOTHER post office in Basingstoke is set to close, prompting an angry response from local residents and councillors.
The McColl's convenience store, in Brighton Hill, is not renewing its lease at the Brighton Hill Centre and has told Post Office bosses it will be closing in three months.
The shop has had numerous problems with vandalism, shoplifting and, in March this year, a female employee was tied up and gagged during a robbery at the shop.
Bosses at McColl's were not available to comment on the reasons for closing the branch.
But Jane Thomas, spokeswoman for Post Office Ltd, confirmed that McColl's had given three months' notice and that the sub-post office based at the store would have to close temporarily.
"We are actively looking for somebody new to take over the running of the sub-post office
and we have had several interested parties make contact with us already," she said.
Councillor Brian Gurden, who represents Brighton Hill on Bas-ingstoke and Deane Borough Council, is annoyed that residents in south Basingstoke will lose vital post office services.
He said: "Following so closely behind post office closures nearby in Kings Furlong and Old Basing, public access to vital services will be even more savagely curtailed."
This latest blow comes after five branches were closed in north Hampshire earlier this year.
Branches in Ashford Hill, Giles Court, Tadley, Wootton St Lawrence, Jay Bees Convenience Store, in Kings Furlong, and the Old Basing post office, in Cavalier Road, all sold their last books of stamps in February.
Cllr Gurden and fellow councillors staged a demonstration outside the McColl's store in the Brighton Hill Centre on Saturday to inform people of the news.
Jean Hanson, of Tweedsmuir Close, Buckskin, Basingstoke, said it was "totally wrong" for the people of Basingstoke to lose yet another post office.
She said she frequently uses the sub-post office at McColl's and knows many elderly people who would be lost without it.
The 65-year-old said: "For pensioners like me it is getting more difficult to go about your everyday business in your local area. I think it's ridiculous."
Anyone interested in taking on the service must be able to provide premises and can contact Post Office Ltd on 0845 6016260 for more details.
11:17am Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 3:45pm Fri 9 May 08
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 3:45pm Fri 9 May 08
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 3:46pm Fri 9 May 08
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
As a Brighton Hill resident I will be glad to see the back of this awful Post Office. The place is randomly shut, refuses to take some items of mail, has poorly trained - and quite frankly - RUDE staff and the whole place is a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Perhaps if these were more like Post Offices and less like Benefit Offices I would feel different.
On a closing note; nice to see our hard working local councillor, Sheila Rowland, in the picture. . . .
Posted by: BonzoDog, local on 8:18am Sat 10 May 08
I think it's a shame that little thought has gone to the many users of post offices in the UK.
Many of the jobs that used to be undertaken by post offices have been harvested out to other departments and contractors who invariably fail to manage the jobs as well and charge a lot more for doing it!
Many pensioners do not want bank accounts to have their pensions paid into, but are being forced into it. They want cash in their hands to buy their shopping today, and not when they have to travel into town to visit their banks....
Where do we post our parcels now? You may not want to today, but the future is not looking good for postal services either. It'll soon be cheaper and easier to deliver parcels yourself.
Many users will now use other post offices which will make the queues even longer. Who says they're not popular?
I think it's a shame that little thought has gone to the many users of post offices in the UK.
Many of the jobs that used to be undertaken by post offices have been harvested out to other departments and contractors who invariably fail to manage the jobs as well and charge a lot more for doing it!
Many pensioners do not want bank accounts to have their pensions paid into, but are being forced into it. They want cash in their hands to buy their shopping today, and not when they have to travel into town to visit their banks....
Where do we post our parcels now? You may not want to today, but the future is not looking good for postal services either. It'll soon be cheaper and easier to deliver parcels yourself.
Many users will now use other post offices which will make the queues even longer. Who says they're not popular?
Posted by: Picket Dewfury, Basingstoke on 10:12am Sat 10 May 08
I'm sure 'Billy Nomates' is a joke name - but I mostly agree with the sentiments expressed and have experienced some of the problems too. It truly is an awful PO to use, and it is not much better as a newsagents either.
Recently I took a parcel into them and they decided that because it would not fit through their hatch, they couldn't deal with it. What use is that to anyone? Another day I took half a sack of letters in to find that they were closed for no reason. The queuing, efficiency and courteousness of the staff also make it a miserable place to go.
The needs and wants of pensioners is a sensitive issue, but they do have free bus passes and plenty of time on their hands if the are too obstinate to get a bank account.
I'm sure 'Billy Nomates' is a joke name - but I mostly agree with the sentiments expressed and have experienced some of the problems too. It truly is an awful PO to use, and it is not much better as a newsagents either.
Recently I took a parcel into them and they decided that because it would not fit through their hatch, they couldn't deal with it. What use is that to anyone? Another day I took half a sack of letters in to find that they were closed for no reason. The queuing, efficiency and courteousness of the staff also make it a miserable place to go.
The needs and wants of pensioners is a sensitive issue, but they do have free bus passes and plenty of time on their hands if the are too obstinate to get a bank account.
Posted by: BonzoDog, local on 3:00pm Sat 10 May 08
I do hope Picket Dewfury, when you're lucky enough to get to their age that the choices promised to you when fit and lively are not taken away when you find you need them at last. Try and think like a pensioner because I promise you'll be one, and it won't be long coming. It's just around the corner, sad but true!
I do hope Picket Dewfury, when you're lucky enough to get to their age that the choices promised to you when fit and lively are not taken away when you find you need them at last. Try and think like a pensioner because I promise you'll be one, and it won't be long coming. It's just around the corner, sad but true!
Posted by: Picket Dewfury, Basingstoke on 10:13am Sun 11 May 08
Excuse me Mr Bonzo duck or whatever your name is. When I am a pensioner I will expect decent service and standards, just as I do now and will travel to find it. I hope by that time the Post Office is in private hands too with lots of competition.
Excuse me Mr Bonzo duck or whatever your name is. When I am a pensioner I will expect decent service and standards, just as I do now and will travel to find it. I hope by that time the Post Office is in private hands too with lots of competition.
Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 1:38pm Mon 12 May 08
Yeah, just where was the freshly re-elected local Liberal Councillor 'working hard for Brighton Hill all year round' Sheila Rowland in all of this?
No sign of her at the Post Office and no mention of the closure in her district diary section (just the usual old waffle about Manor Field School).
Yeah, just where was the freshly re-elected local Liberal Councillor 'working hard for Brighton Hill all year round' Sheila Rowland in all of this?
No sign of her at the Post Office and no mention of the closure in her district diary section (just the usual old waffle about Manor Field School).
Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 1:54pm Mon 12 May 08
Good point - where was freshly re-elected 'working hard for Brighton Hill all year round' Liberal councillor Sheila Rowland?
No sign of her? No mention in her district diary section? Did YOU vote for her???
Good point - where was freshly re-elected 'working hard for Brighton Hill all year round' Liberal councillor Sheila Rowland?
No sign of her? No mention in her district diary section? Did YOU vote for her???
Posted by: BonzoDog, local on 12:00pm Wed 14 May 08
It's [bold]Mr.BonzoDog[/bold] if you don't mind Mr Picket Dewfury?
If you think you'll get decent service and standards any better than we get now then you're dreaming I'm afraid.
Services of all sorts are either disappearing or being reduced by the day. You probably won't notice these things until you need them some day?
If they do go into private hands I can guarantee the costs will be too prohibitive for a state pensioner to be able to afford, but I feel you're gonna tell me you have a wonderful company pension all planned and ready for the big day.
Lucky old you!
Not all of us had the chance, or the spare cash to do such a future-thinking 'survival package.' [italic]But hey, that's another story for another day![/italic]
It's
Mr.BonzoDog if you don't mind Mr Picket Dewfury?
If you think you'll get decent service and standards any better than we get now then you're dreaming I'm afraid.
Services of all sorts are either disappearing or being reduced by the day. You probably won't notice these things until you need them some day?
If they do go into private hands I can guarantee the costs will be too prohibitive for a state pensioner to be able to afford, but I feel you're gonna tell me you have a wonderful company pension all planned and ready for the big day.
Lucky old you!
Not all of us had the chance, or the spare cash to do such a future-thinking 'survival package.'
But hey, that's another story for another day! Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 2:30pm Thu 15 May 08
But some own expensive property in a posh part of town, don't they. . .
Going back to Cllr Rowland, nothing in her section this week either about Brighton Hill the Post Office closure. It is known locally as the 'Manor Field section' so no surprises there.
As this whole thread is about Brighton Hill, would one of the many local liberals like to inform us of when the footpaths will be finished properly? It's now over 9 months and there are still lumps of concrete and lamp posts blocking them.
But some own expensive property in a posh part of town, don't they. . .
Going back to Cllr Rowland, nothing in her section this week either about Brighton Hill the Post Office closure. It is known locally as the 'Manor Field section' so no surprises there.
As this whole thread is about Brighton Hill, would one of the many local liberals like to inform us of when the footpaths will be finished properly? It's now over 9 months and there are still lumps of concrete and lamp posts blocking them.
Posted by: Billy Nomates, Basingstoke on 7:54pm Mon 19 May 08
Looks like a case of 'You've elected us now, we will be back 4 weeks before the next election'.
Looks like a case of 'You've elected us now, we will be back 4 weeks before the next election'.
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